Guardian
by js1280
Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs? McDanno
1. Chapter 1

**Guardian**

Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs?

Set around early Season 3.

A/N: Updated with minor edits. This plot bunny took on a life of its own. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Prologue**

"Danno, do you have to go?" Grace clung to her father as he knelt to give her a final hug on the front steps of Stan and Rachel's home.

"It'll only be for a few days, Monkey. I should be here to pick you up from school on Friday." Looking over her shoulder, the detective gave his partner a pleading look. He usually didn't have to travel without her, but on the rare occasion he did, she usually wasn't quite so worried about it.

"Gracie." Steve squatted down next to two of the most important members of his ohana. "Danno will be back soon, but if you need anything while he's gone you can always call me. I'm just a phone call away if you need me to come."

The little girl nodded, tears still streaking her face. Finally releasing her father, she wrapped her arms around the Seals neck. "Thanks, D… Uncle Steve."

The front door opened to reveal a rather tired looking Rachel. "Come on Grace. Your father needs to finish getting ready for his trip." As the girl trudged into the house, the woman turned to the two men. "Have a safe trip, Danny. Steve, I'll try not to let her call you too often. I know you're busy."

Steve's eyes darkened a bit at her comment. "Let her call as much as she wants. I'll make time for Gracie."

**Chapter 1**

Staring at the empty office where his partner should be, Steve struggled with an uneasy feeling. It was Wednesday; Danno would be back in two more days.

The seal looked down at his phone. Grace had called him Sunday night after they had dropped her off and again both before and right after school on Monday. Maybe the little girl had gotten over her initial upset at Danny leaving for a few days, but Steve couldn't shake the feeling that the lack of phone calls since Monday wasn't because she felt better.

He hoped that Rachel hadn't followed through on her comment about keeping Grace from calling. Picking up the phone, he decided to make a quick call. After several rings, it went to voicemail.

"Rachel, its Steve. Hadn't heard from Gracie since Monday and wanted to see how she's doing. If you don't mind, I'd like to pick her up from school and hang out for a bit. I'll have her home by dinner. Just give me a call and let me know if that's okay."

Disconnecting the call, he decided to go see what the cousins were staring at on the big screen. It was a quiet week, so they'd decided to dig into a cold case.

Stepping outside his office, his phone rang. Hopefully it was Rachel giving him the green light. Glancing at the screen he was surprised to see caller ID showing Academy of the Sacred Hearts. Why was Grace's school calling him?

"This is Commander McGarrett." His tone was wary, causing Chin and Kono to look up at him.

"Commander, this is Ms. Jones from Academy of the Sacred Hearts. I'm sorry to bother you, but you are listed as the primary emergency contact for Grace Williams."

Steve's mind instantly filled with all the things that could have happened to her at school. "Is Grace okay?" At his question the rest of the team stiffened, their interest in his conversation multiplying.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. Grace was here on Monday and though she was upset about her father traveling appeared to be okay; however, we haven't seen her since then. Her parents are usually very good about calling us to let us know if she will be absent, but we've heard nothing from them. I tried to call Rachel yesterday and received no answer. Today I tried every number we have listed for Grace's parents and still got nothing."

A feeling of dread crept over Steve. Something was definitely off about this situation. If Grace were sick, her mother would have called. She'd learned that the best way to cheer the little girl up when she didn't feel well was to call in Five-0, especially Steve. Rachel wouldn't just pull Grace out of school without a reason and it wasn't like her to go off the grid.

"Thank you for calling me. I haven't spoken to Grace since Monday, but was planning to get her after school today. I'll head over to her mother's house now and make sure everything is okay. Call if you hear anything from them and I'll do the same when I have any information."

Before the call was finished, the Seal was headed out the building, the look on his face causing anyone in his path to scatter. Chin and Kono followed in his wake. Whatever had happened, he wasn't going alone.

Hitting buttons on his phone, Steve wasn't sure if he hoped Danny would answer or that it would go to voicemail. He had no actual information, but there would be hell to pay later if he didn't tell his partner something was amiss.

Voicemail picked up and the Seal spoke. "Danny, call me as soon as you get this." There was nothing else to say, no other news he could give at this point.

"Steve," Kono caught up with him as they approached the vehicles. "What's going on?"

Seeing the concern in her eyes, he shook his head. "I don't know, but I'm going to Rachel's to find out."

Opening the door to her car, as Steve rounded his truck, her reply left no room for argument. "We'll be right behind you."

With nothing else left to say, vehicle doors slammed as their engines came to life. Seconds later the Five-0 team was heading on to the street, lights flashing.

What felt like hours later, but was truly only a few moments, Steve pulled his big blue truck up to the gate to Rachel's house. Pushing the button on the keypad, he waited impatiently for a response that never came. Undaunted, he quickly keyed in the code she'd given him and waited for the gate to open.

Proceeding toward the house, his eyes took in the area. Nothing appeared out of place. No visible windows were broken and the door was still closed, but the seemingly normal appearance didn't relieve the fear in his stomach.

Stopping in front of the house, he quickly exited the truck and met the cousins at the bottom of the steps. Drawing his sidearm, his eyes met Chin's and he saw confusion and worry.

"Something is up. Grace has been MIA for 2 days and nobody is answering calls."

The trio cautiously approached the front door, listening for any clues to what they would find within. Hearing nothing, Steve rang the doorbell. On the off chance every alarm going off on his head was wrong; he didn't want to scare Rachel to death by knocking in her door.

A muffled sound came from inside before things fell silent again. Someone was home. Banging on this door this time, Steve hollered at the occupants. "Rachel! Stan! Somebody open up!"

"Go away!" A voice that somewhat resembled Stan hollered.

Stepping back from the door, Steve took a second to look at the other two members of his team. Receiving a nod from both, he let loose a powerful kick, sending the door flying open.

Guns drawn, the three quietly approached the sounds coming from the kitchen. Rounding the corner, McGarrett froze in place. "Shit." The word came out as a whisper. Not ten feet in front of him, Rachel's lifeless body was crumpled next to the kitchen island. Her head in a pool of blood.

Now on even higher alert, he motioned for the other two to stay with him as they moved forward.

Entering the room, he quickly spotted Stan leaning haphazardly against the counter, a mostly empty bottle of scotch in his hand, one eye swollen shut.

"Stan, where is Grace?" There was nothing he could do for Rachel, but he had to hope that the girl was still okay.

"The little bitch hit me," he drunkenly gestured to his eye.

"Where is she, Stan." The Seal continued his slow approach toward the man. The cousins watched behind him, their boss appeared coiled to strike at the slightest provocation. Given the body on the floor and the danger to the girl they all loved, they wouldn't stop him.

"She locked herself in the upstairs bath. Haven't seen her since Monday night, but the door was still locked last I checked." His voice slurred.

Barely controlled rage rolled off the Seal as he took a menacing step toward the smaller man.

"If she's hurt…." His threat was interrupted by Chin's voice.

"Steve. Grace." The man's voice was quiet, but was enough to refocus the deadly man on his primary objective. Find Grace. "Kono's calling this in and I'll be happy to deal with him. You have to find Grace." The Hawaiian was smart enough to know that if she was scared the only one that would be able to convince her she was safe was Steve.

Nodding his head, Steve wheeled around and ran from the room. Taking the stairs three at a time, he rushed toward the bathroom door.

"Grace!" He yelled frantically as he approached the door. Reaching it, he tried the handled and found it still locked. "Gracie, open up. You're safe now."

He heard a small shuffling noise followed by a large crash.

Not stopping to wait for any further response, Steve slammed his shoulder into the door, holding the handle to ensure it didn't swing widely and hurt Grace.

The sight in front of him fed his rage. The girl that was Danny's entire world and was like a daughter to him was crumpled on the tile floor her shirt and skirt ripped leaving exposing the brutal bruises across her arms and stomach.

Crossing the space between them in two long strides and dropping to his knees, he carefully pulled her to him as a sob escaped her small body.

"Steve, you came." She choked out as he held her closer.

"Of course I came. I'll always come for you." He reassured the terrified child.

Footsteps behind him caused him to look up. "Steve, Duke and the rest of the gang are here. They sent a bus in case we needed it." The unspoken question was clear and the small nod from the Seal provided the answer.

Hearing the other man's voice, Grace tried to hide cover herself better with her torn shirt. Fear and shock seemed to override her ability to recognize her Uncle Chin.

Sensing her unease, Steven motioned for the other man to leave the room and appreciated his immediate compliance despite the pained look on his face.

Looking around the room, he quickly realized the hand towels wouldn't work to cover Grace. He started to release her, but his motion halted as her small hand gripped the t-shirt covering his chest tighter.

"It's okay Gracie. I'm not going anywhere. I just need to take my button up shirt off so you can wear it." A few seconds later, she released her hold and sat up slightly, still leaning against him as she winced in pain.

Making quick work of pulling the shirt off his shoulders, he swung it around and draped it over the young girl's back. He was impressed when she managed to push her arms through the appropriate holes and wrap it more snuggly around herself.

"Grace, I'm going to pick you up. Kono called an ambulance and I need to get you out there. Just keep your eyes closed and we'll be out there in no time."

Nodding her head, she clung to the large man as he lifted her easily. He was relieved when she tucked her head against his chest and closed her eyes. He didn't want her to have to see the scene in the kitchen. Hopefully she hadn't already seen it.

Striding out of the room and down the stairs, he met the silent, pained gazes of the other officers. He nodded in silent thanks when he noticed the hastily formed wall of bodies blocking any view of Rachel's body.

Less than a minute later, Grace was placed on the waiting gurney, still clinging to Steve's hand.

The paramedics made no move to separate him from the girl and worked quickly around him to secure their young patient. The Seal did his best to make it easy for them to load her into the ambulance while maintaining contact with her.

Before the doors shut, Kono appeared. "We'll meet you at the hospital." Stepping back, she slammed the doors so they could pull away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Guardian**

Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs?

A/N: Reposted for minor updates. Hope you are enjoying the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 2**

The trip to the ER was quiet. The paramedics worked silently, seeming to understand that their young patient needed to keep her focus on Commander McGarrett. They were both familiar with the head of Five-0 and had treated various members of his team, including him, in the last couple of years. They'd heard the stories about the little Williams girl and her relationship with the task force. Judging by the scene in front of them, those stories had been understated rather than exaggerated as many not close to the team thought.

Keeping his hand wrapped around Grace's, the Seal continued to watch her closely. She'd kept her eyes closed since he'd picked her up. He'd nearly panicked for a second when her features started to relax until he realized it was the pain medication injected in the IV.

The silent tears that fell down her face broke his heart. He couldn't help the feeling that somehow he'd failed her. He should have known something was wrong when she hadn't called Tuesday. He should have come to check on her sooner.

"Daddy?" The little girl's voice trembled as her eyes opened. The Seal was surprised she hadn't used her normal nickname for her father. He'd never heard her call Danno Daddy.

"I'll call Danno again as soon as we get you settled at the hospital, Gracie. He'll be here as soon as he can." He wished again that his partner hadn't had to make the trip to New Jersey. He knew Danny would never forgive himself for not being here when his daughter's world fell apart.

Saying nothing else, the girl's eyes slipped closed again. "I'll stay close until he gets here. I promise." Part of him wanted to confront Stan sooner, but he knew the man would be in custody and not going anywhere. Right now, his priority had to be Grace.

A few minutes later, Steve trotted along beside the gurney through the hall of the ER. Nurses swarmed the gurney as the paramedic gave the overview of her condition. When they came to a stop in one of the rooms, the Seal helped them transfer her into the bed while quickly assessing the situation. Meeting the eyes of the male doctor that was preparing to walk in the room, he quickly shook his head no and mouthed "female."

The doctor nodded his understanding and hurried away to find another doctor. A minute later, a female doctor Steve recognized from one of his visits to the ER entered the room.

"Commander McGarrett." She nodded. "Is Detective Williams on the way?"

"He's in Jersey, ma'am, but I'm sure he'll be on his way soon." He felt Grace stiffen and looked down at her. "He'll get here as fast as he can, Gracie." He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Commander, I need to examine Grace to determine the extent of her injuries. Perhaps you should step outside for a moment."

"No!" The little girl's voice sounded panicked. Clearly being left alone with someone she didn't know wasn't the best idea right now.

"Gracie," Steve tried to think of a solution that would alleviate her fear and preserve her modesty. He knew the doctor would have to check to see if Stan had sexually assaulted her given the circumstances. "Would it be okay if Kono came in and stayed with you while Dr. Scott checks you over? I'll be right outside the door and can try to call Danno again."

She stared up at him at him and considered what he said before nodding slowly. Kono provided a safe alternative as someone she knew and trusted.

Almost as if she'd been summoned, the Hawaiian officer appeared at the door to the room. Seeing her boss's gesture to enter, she quickly joined them.

"Hey, Gracie." The petite woman came over to the side of the bed and took the hand that wasn't still attached to Steve.

"Kono, Dr. Scott needs go through her exam. Would you mind staying here with Gracie while I try Danno again?" His eyes pleaded with her to stay and help keep the little girl calm.

"Of course." She looked down at the youngest member of their Five-0 ohana. Even wrapped in Steve's oversized shirt, it was easy to see some of the bruises. She swallowed back the bile threatening to rise in her throat and smiled down at Grace as she started plotting all the ways to make sure Stan got what he deserved.

Leaning over the bed, the Seal placed a quick kiss on the child's forehead. "I'll be back as soon as the doctor is done, okay?"

Receiving her consenting nod, he headed out to the hall. Pulling out his phone, he was a bit surprised he hadn't received a call back from Danny yet. Hitting the buttons, he waited as it rang. When the phone went to voicemail again, he disconnected instead of leaving a message.

Scrolling through his contacts, Steve decided to try a different route. Finding the number he needed, he hit send and waited as the phone rang. This time, someone picked up on the second ring.

"Williams's residence. Is this my favorite son calling?" Danny's mom teased, which meant his partner had to be nearby. The Williams matriarch loved to tease her son that Steve was really her favorite.

Steve fought to stay composed. He wondered if he would still be considered a son, much less the favorite son, when they found out what he'd let happen to her granddaughter.

"It is, Mom. Is Danny there? I've tried his cell and he's not answering."

"He's right here." He heard the sound of her moving around the room to hand off the phone and then heard her voice slightly muffled. "Daniel, where is your cell phone. Steven has been trying to reach you."

Seconds later, Steve heard the Jersey native's voice. "Steven, what's wrong? Something must be wrong or you wouldn't be calling my parents' house. Did you blow up the entire island in the less than three days I've been gone?"

Normally, the mini rant would have made the Seal smile, but knowing he was about to send his partner's world crashing down he sighed.

"You need to come home, now. Danny, Grace needs you here. So do I." The formidable man ducked into an empty room as his composure finally started to slip.

Hearing the crack in Steve's voice, his partner paused before responding. It didn't matter what it was; he was going home. "I'll catch the next flight out, babe, but what happened?" Running up the stairs to his bedroom, he located his phone on the nightstand and saw missed calls from the school and Steve. This couldn't be good.

Running back down, he handed his phone and wallet to his mother as he waited for Steve to explain. "Mom, call the airlines. Find the fastest flight to get me home." Understanding the frantic tone of his voice, she didn't question his instructions, but simply took the items and headed to the computer to figure out which airline to call.

Heading back to his room, he prodded his partner. "Babe, don't leave me hanging. Mom is finding a ticket and I'm packing, but I need to know what I'm coming home to."

Taking a haggard breath, the Seal finally found his voice again. "I don't know exactly what happened. I'm at the hospital with Gracie. The doctor is with her now. The school called, she hadn't been there since Monday and nobody was answering their calls. We went to check it out." He paused, hating to say the next part. "Danny, Rachel is dead. We found her body in the kitchen with Stan completely drunk. Grace managed to give him a black eye and lock herself in the bathroom. She's safe now. I promised I'd stay close until you get here."

"Oh god!" Danny sunk onto the bed. "I should have been there. She shouldn't have been with them."

"I'm so sorry, Danny. It's my fault. I should have checked on her sooner."

As distraught as he was at the idea that his precious monkey being hurt, he couldn't let the crazy Seal take the blame. "Steven, listen to me. It is not your fault. If you hadn't gone over there, she would still be locked in a bathroom or worse. You got her out. You got her to the hospital and if I know you, you may never leave her unattended again."

The conversation fell silent for a moment. Neither man had the heart to argue over who was to blame. Before they got any further, Danny's mom interrupted.

"Daniel, you're flight leaves in three hours. We need to head the airport." Steve could hear the fright in her voice. "Let me talk to Steven for a moment while you finish packing."

"I'll call you when I get through security, babe. Keep her close and don't go see Stan until I'm there. I don't want you to kill him before I get my shot."

"Okay, but no promise that Chin, Kono, or Duke won't get to him first." Steve heard the half-hearted chuckle as the phone was handed off.

"Steven, are you and Gracie okay?" Her motherly tone made him cringe.

"I'm okay and Gracie will be, Mrs. Williams."

"Don't you dare Mrs. Williams me, Steven! I don't know what happened, but from the little bit I heard you're blaming yourself for something you couldn't control. We don't walk away from our family just because something bad happens. Now, you take care of that precious girl and yourself. I need more time to pack than Daniel, but I'm on the first flight out tomorrow morning. I'll grab a cab from the airport and a hotel room, so don't worry about me."

Shaking his head, Steve could see where his partner got his determination. "Mom, somebody will get you from the airport, just text me your arrival info. Hopefully Grace will be out of the hospital before you get here and we'll all be back at my place. There's plenty of room for you to stay there and it'll probably do us all good to have you close."

"Okay, Steven. I'll send you the info after we get Daniel to the airport. We love you."

"Love you too, Mom."

/

A/N:

Reviews are truly appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Guardian**

Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 3**

Waiting outside the door to Grace's room, Steve was surprised the phone call with his partner had gone so well. As awful as this day had been so far, he wasn't sure he could have handled Danny being disappointed in him.

He couldn't help but crack a small smile at the idea that Mrs. Williams would arrive several hours after her son. Grace was going to need all the support she could get to find a new normal for her life. Growing up with only one parent was rough; he knew that.

Never having wanted kids, the Seal couldn't help but wonder what being Gracie's dad would be like. Of course, she had her Danno already. She didn't need another dad.

Shaking his head in an attempt to cut off that train of thought, Steve's mind shifted to the scene from this morning. Stan had never been on his list of favorite people, but he couldn't imagine what drove him to apparently kill his wife and attack his stepdaughter.

"Steve, how is she?" Chin's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"Scared and badly bruised, but I don't know anything else yet. Kono is in with her while Dr. Scott checks her out." He'd be glad when the doctor came out and he knew just how extensive the damage was.

"Were you able to reach Danny?" The Hawaiian cop inquired.

"He's headed to the airport. Said he'd call again after he gets through security. Mom said his flight left in 3 hours, so I'd guess he'll be here tomorrow morning. It'll probably stop on the west coast for the night. Of course, she's on the first plane tomorrow, so she'll probably get here tomorrow night."

Chin shook his head and grinned. "Shoulda known she'd follow him out here." He couldn't help but notice the serious expression on Steve's face as he stared at the closed door in front of him. He guessed that was where Grace was.

"Do you want the overview of what happened now, or would you prefer to wait until later? I took the liberty of questioning Stan a bit before coming here. Given his rather intoxicated state he wasn't completely coherent, but I got the gist."

That got the Seal's full attention. "Now." He needed to know if he was going to figure out how to fix this for Grace.

"Short version, apparently things haven't been going well at work and he's been too damned proud to admit it to Rachel. The firm he works for decided to let him go Monday so he came home shortly after Grace got home from school after having a few drinks. When he heard the two of them talking about ideas for a long weekend getaway they hoped to take, he completely lost it."

Steve looked stunned. "All this because he lost his job?"

"Apparently so. He said he and Rachel started arguing about the trip. I gather he abruptly told them they weren't going anywhere but initially refused to explain why. During the discussion, he broke out the scotch and continued drinking. Things got heated and Rachel said she and Grace were going to go somewhere else for a while so he could cool down. That's when it turned physical. He admitted to trying to stop her and getting violent. At this point, he isn't sure how it happened but she ended up hitting her head on the marble counter of the island. Judging by the damage she didn't just slip and fall."

None of this was making Steve feel better. Unless he'd missed something, this meant Grace was in the room when her mother was killed. Stan should consider himself lucky that he was in police custody already, otherwise an unfortunately accident might have occurred on the way to lockup.

Knowing he couldn't avoid the last part, Chin pushed on with the story. "When Rachel hit the floor, Grace started screaming. Stan said his head was throbbing and he didn't want to put up with her, so grabbed a hold of her and tried to shut her up. Of course, our little Gracie didn't take that well and fought back. Unless he was lying, he didn't attempt anything with her. When she managed to elbow him in the eye he lost his grip long enough for her to escape. Fortunately, he was too drunk by that point to consider the fact that he could have just busted the door open like you did."

Steve met his friend's eyes; the sadness there reflected his own. Their precious little girl would never be the same. She'd seen her mother killed and then had to fight for her own safety with the perp.

The sound of the door opening behind him caused the Seal to whirl around as Chin stepped forward to stand beside him. They stared the doctor down as she shut the door behind her.

"Commander. Lt. Kelly. I've finished the exam. She's more comfortable now thanks to the painkillers. We're going to give her fluids and nutrients through the IV to help her body catch up. She did manage to drink some water while hiding in the bathroom, but has had nothing else since Monday at lunch."

Both men nodded their heads, but Steve was the first to ask questions. "What's the extent or her injuries?"

The doctor looked relieved, which allowed the pair to relax only the slightest bit.

"She has extensive bruising on her arms, back, and abdomen. There are no signs of sexual trauma and no broken bones. From what I could get out of her, she fought hard when he tried to restrain her after her mother went down. I suspect the bruises may not have been as bad if she'd fought less, but I hate to think what else would have happened. As it is, things could have been far worse. If Detective Williams were here we'd be able to release her this evening."

"He won't be back until sometime tomorrow morning. You can release her to me this evening. They'll end up at my place anyway." Now that he knew her physical injuries weren't what he'd feared, he was anxious to get out of the hospital.

"I'm afraid we can't release a minor to someone other than a parent or guardian without prior written consent."

Before Steve could get more upset and start an argument he was likely to regret, Chin stepped in. "Why don't you check her file. I know she's been here before and I believe Detective Williams had the foresight to include approval for her to be released into Commander McGarrett's care if ever the need arose."

Nodding her head, Dr. Scott smiled. She was quite pleased that there was a chance to let her young patient leave. After the trauma she'd been through today, being stuck in a hospital would do her little good.

"I'll ask the nurse to pull the information for me. If that checks out and she continues to do well we'll have her out of here by dinnertime. Meanwhile, you two can go in and see her. Try to keep things calm and let her rest as much as possible. Also, Officer Kalakaua took the pictures that will be needed in court during the exam, so Grace won't need to be upset further by that process."

"Thank you, Doc. I'll stay with her until she's released." Shaking both men's hands, the doctor headed back to the nurses' station.

As Steve started to push the door open, Chin hesitated. His presence earlier had scared Gracie and he was hesitant to alarm her further. The boss glanced back at him and nodded his head in understanding.

Grace's eyes met the Seal's as soon as he was through the door. Keeping the door open behind him, he offered her a smile.

"Gracie, is it okay if Chin comes in too?"

She nodded her small head. "Of course Uncle Chin can come in." Much as he suspected, she wasn't afraid of Chin, but had likely just been so overwhelmed at the house that anyone out of place scared her.

Hearing her response, the Hawaiian followed Steve into the room and watched as he pulled a chair close to the bed and took the young girl's free hand. Kono still held the other.

"How do you feel?" The Seal kept his voice quiet.

"Better. Dr. Scott said the stuff she put in the IV would help and that they were going to put more stuff in there to make me feel even better before I go home." Her voice trembled at the last word and she closed her eyes as the tears formed. "I don't have a home anymore, do I?"

Her small voice broke the hearts of all three adults.

Without hesitation, Steve squeezed her hand a little tighter. "Gracie, you have a home. You and Danno always have a home with me." He couldn't help the image of the three of them building a life together that quickly filled his mind. No matter what he wished for, he would put it aside to make the two of them comfortable in his house. The house that would feel so much more like a home with them in it.

Her eyes flew back open and stared at him. "But Danno doesn't live there. We just visit a lot when I'm with him." He heard a hint of wistfulness in her voice.

"I bet if we work together, we can convince Danno that you should both live with me. Dr. Scott seems to think you'll probably get to come home with me tonight so you'll already be there when Danno gets home tomorrow."

Her current fear addressed, everyone could see she was starting to get very tired, an expected, but welcome effect of the drugs. As her eyes started to fall closed again, Steve leaned over and placed a kiss on her head.

"Get some rest, Gracie. I'll still be here when you wake up."

Please, take a few seconds and leave a review. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.


	4. Chapter 4

**Guardian**

Summary: What happens when Grace's world falls apart while Danny is in New Jersey handling some family business? Will Steve prove to be the guardian the little girl needs?

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 4**

Watching their fearless leader at Gracie's side, Chin and Kono both wished there was more they could do. The nurse had come in and added some other things to Grace's IV and now they all sat here, helpless. After a moment, Kono realized she could be a bit helpful.

"Boss, why don't I go round up what she'll need for a while from the house? Can't imagine she's going to want to go back there for a while and she's going to need you and Danny to stay close."

His eyes never left the sleep form of the young girl as he replied. "Thanks, Kono. That'd be great. You can take everything over to my place. Just make sure there's nothing..."

Her voice interrupted him. "I know." She'd make sure to check for anything that would remind her of Stan and remove it before she put the things in Grace's room at Steve's place.

Shortly after she left the room, Chin decided it was time to leave them in peace for a bit. "I'm going to go grab us something to eat. You need anything else while I'm out, brah?"

"No. Food would be good though. Thanks." Now that the other officer mentioned it, he realized his stomach was telling him it was time for lunch.

Left with only the sleeping girl for company, the Seal let his mind wonder back to the scene of domestic happiness he'd conjured earlier. The three of them curled up on the couch together, sharing a bowl of popcorn as they watched a cartoon movie in their pajamas.

Before he could get too engrossed in the daydreaming, Grace started to get restless. "No. No. Please don't!" Her small form started to shiver. "Gracie. Wake up, Gracie. It's okay, you're safe." He tried to rouse her with a gentle shake. "Mom! Let go! Danno! No, but Daddy will come for me!" Gathering her up in his arms, Steve slid next to her in the bed and held her tight.

"Gracie. Please, wake up. I've got you, you're safe."

Her eyes remained closed, but her little body seemed to relax back into a more peaceful slumber as a few more words tumbled out. "Daddy… Steve, you came."

Steve shook his head as he continued to hold her close, he had to be imaging that there was a distinction between Danno and Daddy in her sleep talking. He shouldn't read into the connecting between his arrival and the mention of daddy.

One of the nurses hurried into the room as second later. "Is she okay? Looked like her heart rate jumped there for a bit." She looked knowingly at the small girl sleeping in his arms.

Before Steve could explain, she patted his shoulder. "Just be careful with the IV, so it doesn't pull. I'd feel safer there if I were her too."

Finishing her check of Grace, the nurse left the room only to reappear a moment later with some extra pillows. With a small smile, she arranged them behind the Seal so he could sit more comfortably.

"I'll be back in a bit to check on her again. If you need anything before then just push this button."

The room fell quiet with only the quiet beeping of the heart rate monitor and Grace's soft breathing. Closing his eyes, Steve let his head fall back onto the pillows and closed his eyes. He'd be glad when Danny was back, though he had to admit he'd miss being the one to hold the little girl, but they needed to figure out what to do next.

With Stan's confession, the way they found the scene, and the pictures of Grace he hoped that the lawyers would manage not to make her testify. She'd been through enough to end up with a case of PTSD already; she didn't need the additional trauma of the courtroom. As it was, they were going to need to get her in with a professional to help her cope with everything.

Feeling a vibration in his pocket, he was glad he'd turned the volume off on his cell before coming back in the room. Carefully fishing it out, he saw his partner's name.

"You make it through security already?" Steve spoke quietly.

"Shockingly, yes. It's amazing how fast Dad can drive when something is wrong. Anyway, how is Grace? I'm guessing asleep since you're being so quiet."

Snickering quietly, the Seal shook his head. "You'd be right." He hesitated to tell Danny about the nightmares, he didn't need more to worry about on the plane. "The doctor confirmed that physically she only suffered a bunch of bruising. Nothing is broken and there was no other physical trauma."

Danny exhaled loudly. He'd been praying for that news ever since the first conversation with Steve. "Thank God!" The phone fell silent for a long second. "So what else do we know? Steven, what the hell happened in that house?"

The Seal ran through the information Chin had provided. "Danno, how are we going to fix this for her?"

The detective continued pacing back and forth in front of the airline gate. "I don't know." The we in the statement hadn't escaped him. His heart warmed slightly at the idea that his partner would be there for him and Grace no matter what happened next.

"By the way, I promised Gracie that I'd get you to agree to staying at the house now that she'll be with us… you…. full-time." He hopped the Jersey native didn't note the slip and when he didn't point it out though perhaps he had missed it. "What time does your flight land tomorrow? I'll make sure Chin or Kono meet you there."

"Just after 10. Not nearly soon enough." Steve could hear the frustration in Danny's voice. Heaven help the people around him if anything delayed the planes.

"Just hang in there. She'll probably sleep through a big chunk of the time until you're here." As he spoke, Grace started to shift and eventually he saw her big eyes staring up at him. "Hey Gracie. Would you like to say hi to Danno? He's at the airport waiting on the plane to bring him home."

Nodding silent, she reached up for the phone. Before he could consider moving out of her way, a small hand gripped his shirt and she snuggled back into his chest, the phone held up to her ear.

"Danno?" Her voice sounded so much smaller and frailer than normal to both men.

"I'm here, Monkey. I'm here." Steve could hear the other man's voice. It was apparently he was struggling to keep it together. "I promise I'll be there with you as soon as I can."

"It's okay Danno. Da..Uncle Steve is here with me. We'll both be glad when you get home." She burrowed closer to the Seal, afraid he'd catch the slip. She didn't want to scare him by calling him Daddy even though in so many ways she considered him her other dad. "He said we can stay with him. He's going to take me there as soon as they let me out."

"I'll be glad to be home with you guys too. He told me we were going to stay with him. That sounds like a really good idea."

She smiled at his easy consent. She'd been worried that he would argue about not wanting to get in the way, but she could always tell that Steve never thought they were in the way. He was always so happy to see them both and sad when they left. He tried not to show it, but the little girl could tell.

Before she could respond, the door to the room opened and Chin entered with Kamekona hot on his heels.

Hearing the sound, Danny reluctantly said goodbye, promising again that he'd see her very soon.

Steve was pleased to see the smile on Grace's face at the large Hawaiian's appearance.

"I thought you went out to get food?" He joked with Chin.

"I did, but he wouldn't let me have the food unless he could come back with me." Nobody was surprised. As part of their extended ohana, he would want to be there for Grace too.

"I brought options." He held up a few different bags and moved toward a small table to set them down. As he sorted out the food, the nurse came back in to check on her patient again.

Seeing the girl awake, she smiled sweetly. "Hi, Grace. I'm Nurse Amy. How are you feeling? We gave you something to help keep it from hurting, so if you start feeling the pain again you need to let one of us know, okay?"

"It doesn't hurt much now. Thank you."

Spotting the small shrimp buffet now spread on the table, the nurse laughed. "You guys are going to make us all hungry with the smell of all that food." Seeing the group was about to start apologizing, she waved them off. "Don't worry, it's a pretty slow day around here, so you shouldn't get mobbed for it. Grace, if you're hungry you should try to eat some. It does smell really good."

Before the nurse could leave the room, Kamekona cut her off with a plate heaped with several kinds of shrimp. "For you and the other nurses. Enjoy."

"Thanks, we will." Looking back at Steve and Grace, she smiled again. "I'll be back to check on you again soon."

For the next hour, the small group ate the shrimp and goodies that Chin and Kamekona brought with them as the adults tried to keep Grace's attention occupied with anything other than the last few days.

At one point, Kono decided to bring up the newly proposed living arrangements. "So, Grace, are you going to convince the guys to let you pick out some new stuff for your room? I think it needs a little more of your personality."

Though the bedroom she stayed in was perfectly nice, it was very neutral and looked too much like an adult's bedroom.

"We don't need to redo it. I don't mind what my room looks like." She sounded a bit nervous, causing Kono to wonder why her suggestion might have upset the girl.

Steve also noticed the small shake in her voice, but he suspected he knew why. As worried as she was about having a place to call home earlier, she was afraid that if she made it difficult he might change his mind.

"Actually, Gracie, I think redecorating is a great idea. We should start with your room, but I bet if we go through the whole house, we'll find other things that we might like to change too." He was glad to see her eyes light a bit at his assertion that it really was a good idea. "Maybe since Auntie Kono thought of it first we should send her to get some color samples and stuff to help us figure out what you'd like."

"I like that idea." The adults all relaxed now that she no longer seemed upset.

"By the time we get out of here, it should be about dinner time. Why don't I stop and grab some pizzas while Kono rounds her assignment up. We can meet back at your place for dinner." Chin suggested.

"Sounds like we have a plan." Steve agreed. He had a feeling he knew what his team was up to; everyone wanted to stay close to Grace as long as possible.

She would have to come to terms with everything, but perhaps they could help keep her focused on other things a bit longer so that her Danno would be with her when the full weight of the prior days came crashing down on her small shoulders. Even then, the Seal knew that they would all face it together.

/

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	5. Chapter 5

**Guardian**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 5**

Pulling up next to the house, Steve was relieved to be free of the hospital. He estimated they had about 30 minutes before Chin and Kono showed up with their respective assignments. He was grateful Chin had volunteered to grab Grace's prescriptions when he went to get the pizzas. It saved the two of them a stop and the wait time.

Glancing back at the young girl, he saw her staring back at him with her wide eyes. He was incredibly impressed with how well she'd kept it together through the day, but worried that it may just be the calm before the storm. He sent up a silent prayer that the worst wouldn't hit before Danny made it home.

"Ready?" At her nod, he climbed out of the truck and opened the back door for her. As soon as he opened his arms toward her, she leaned over and wrapped her small arms around his neck. As he gently pulled her out of the truck, she wrapped her legs around his waist like the monkey Danno always accused her of being.

Carrying her to the house, the Seal was careful not to tickle her as he usually did when carrying her like this. Danno always accused him of forgetting Grace could walk when they unloaded from the truck, but the teasing never stopped them. She had secretly admitted one weekend that she loved the view from up high and Steve was the only one tall enough to provide it.

Quickly unlocking the house and disarming the alarm, he set her carefully on her feet. "Do you want to take a quick shower and get changed before Chin and Kono get here?"

Her gaze dropped to the floor and her hands tightened his oversized shirt around her. She'd refused to take it off to change at the hospital.

Thinking quickly, Steve reached forward and grabbed her hand. "Why don't I help you find something to wear?"

Leading her up the stairs, he guided them to his room first. Releasing her hand for a moment, he ducked into the closet and came out with one of his softest button up shirts. Seeing her smile, he grabbed her hand again and they continued on to her room.

"Why don't you pick out a t-shirt and shorts to wear under this?" He set the shirt on the bed and was glad to see her smile and nod.

Opening up the suitcase Kono had placed on the chest at the foot of the bed, she found what she needed. "Got it."

"Perfect. Now, let's grab you a towel and wash rag and you should be set for the shower." He noticed the slightly panicked look in her eyes. He gave himself a mental slap on the head remembering she'd just spent two days locked in a bathroom. "I'll be right down stairs the whole time and will make sure nobody comes up until you come down, so it's okay if you leave the door open."

"Okay. Thanks." Her voice was quiet, but she wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug. He had to think even Danny would be impressed with how well he was managing the situation.

A few minutes later, Steve could hear the water start running from the kitchen. Opening up the fridge, he pulled out some fruit and veggies to add to the dinner menu. The gang all loved pizza, but aside from his partner, they also had an appreciation for slightly healthier fare.

Grabbing a beer from the fridge, the Seal sat on one of the bar stools. Normally he would head out to the lanai, but he'd promised her he would be downstairs and he wasn't about to break his word. There was so much he couldn't give her; but right now, he knew she needed someone she could trust absolutely and the unconditional love and support of her family. Until Danny got back the morning he and the rest of Five-0 were going to provide just that.

The vibration of his phone interrupted the relative quiet of the kitchen. Pulling the device out, he groaned seeing the Governor's number.

"Commander McGarrett."

"McGarrett, I heard what happened at the Edwards' place and that you're taking care of Grace until Danny arrives." The politician suspected his care wouldn't end then. "You and your team are not expected in the office for the next several days, barring any emergencies." Anticipating an argument, he quickly continued. "That is not meant to prevent any visits to Mr. Edwards. I'm aware that you are likely to want to speak to him directly and will in no manner stand in your way."

Relieved that he wasn't going to have to argue with his boss, Steve was happy to consent. "We appreciate that, Governor. The whole team will be happy to know we can focus on ensuring Grace is taken care of."

"Good. Word has gotten out quickly, so I'm going to hold a brief press conference confirming the minimal details and requesting that my task force be left alone to handle this tragedy privately. I'm hoping that is enough given the reputation of your team, but if the press starts to hound you let me know. In the meantime, I'll let you go, but make sure you let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

"We appreciate your help, sir. I'll contact you if we need anything, but I suspect time and privacy to deal with this will be the best thing you could provide."

With no further conversation, the two men disconnected. Steve knew their relationship with Governor Denning was not always a great one, but in many ways, they seemed to have worked through and found a way to co-exist peacefully with a certain level of mutual respect.

Setting his phone on the island, he turned the volume up knowing that Danny would likely call at some point after landing in California. He estimated they had another couple of hours before that, but wanted to make sure they caught it when he did. If he had to guess, the Seal suspected that the Jersey native was about to pull his hair out at the slow speed of cross-country travel to get to his daughter. Of course, he also admitted that he would fair no better and may have resorted to commandeering military resources to help accelerate his travel schedule.

Hearing a car door slamming out front, he headed to the door to greet whichever member of the ohana had just arrived. Opening the front door, he stepped out and saw Kono coming down the path, several bags in her hands and a wide grin on her face.

"I think I found every possible color scheme and girl friendly decorating magazine or book on the island." Knowing better than to offer assistance with the bags, Steve settled for holding the door open as the petite Hawaiian entered the house. "Where's Gracie?"

"Showering. I promised we'd stay down here until she came down so she wouldn't have to shut the door." The look he gave her was a mix of confidence in his decision and concern that he may have done something wrong.

"Smart thinking. Keeps her from try to avoid the room altogether while not making her feel trapped." She reassured her boss. "She's incredibly tough, so I'm sure she'll get past her fear sooner than any of us could imagine, especially with you guys here to keep her safe."

Having set her treasures on the floor in the living room, Kono came back over to Steve and gave him a brief hug. "You're doing great, Boss."

Returning the easy embrace, Steve appreciated her reassurances. "Thanks, Kono. I'm glad you and Chin are here to help though. I'm so afraid I'm going to end up being out of my element and screwing up. I don't want to disappoint her or hurt her worse after everything."

Stepping back staring at her boss, she couldn't help but shake her head at him. "I highly doubt that, but never fear. Your back up here is here; at least until we have to go to work."

"Actually, I had a call from Governor Denning. The entire team has been granted a leave of absence. Even better, he's trying to run interference with the press since you can imagine the feeding frenzy this story creates."

Hearing the water shut off upstairs, Steve decided a change in subject was a good idea. "Care to come help me chop up some fruits and veggies to go with dinner? I pulled them out but got distracted."

"Sure, Boss." The woman followed him in to the kitchen where they fell into a companionable silence as the worked and waited for Grace to appear.

The wait was short lived, as the girl appeared moments later, the shirt Steve gave her held closed over her own clothes by the two buttons she'd fastened. Hair still wet, she climbed onto one of the bar stools.

"Want something to drink, Gracie?" He didn't bother to list the options; she knew all the things he kept in stock for her.

"Pink lemonade?" He smiled when she picked one of their favorite treats to share.

"Good choice." The Seal quickly filled a cup with ice and poured some of the lemonade he always kept on hand for her. "It looks like we're going to have our work cut out for us with your room. Kono brought an entire bookstore back with her."

The three kept up the easy banter about crazy decorating ideas until Chin let himself in with the pizzas.

"Are you really sure Danny's going to let you decorate her room like the inside of a military helicopter?" The older man couldn't help but laugh.

"No, but we think it'll be fun to mess with him." Steve shared a conspiratorial look with Kono and Grace. He'd torture Danny with just about anything if it meant hearing the little girl laugh.

/

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	6. Chapter 6

**Guardian**

A/N: Slightly shorter chapter than normal in an effort to prevent some travel from causing too much of a delay.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 6**

Nearly two hours later the living room floor was scattered with pages pulled from magazines and paint sample cards; while the remnants of dinner sat on the coffee table. Chin and Kono were both impressed that the boss's normal OCD tendency to keep things neat and orderly seemed to have abandoned him.

Steve and Grace had thrown themselves into the process of sorting through the ideas. To them, the apparently chaos was an organizational system. There were the rejects, the maybes, and the running favorites each careful spread so you could see which ideas had already been reviewed when a similar one came up.

Sitting on the floor, his back leaned against the couch and the little girl perched on his lap reclining against his chest, they flipped through another magazine together.

"Gracie, do you not like the color pink?" He pointed toward the reject pile full of everything pink they'd come across.

"Not really. I like all those colors more." She pointed to the other sets of piles full of purples, blues, reds, yellows, greens, and oranges.

The Seal was surprised given that her room at Rachel's had been covered in pink. He'd always assumed she'd helped pick it out. Maybe her tastes had just changed over the last couple of years. Thinking back, he realized she never picked anything pink when she was with any of the team.

Before he could make any other comment, she continued. "Mommy and Step-Stan were so convinced that every girl loved pink, so they always bought all kinds of pink things for me. They always seemed so happy when they gave them to me that I just went along. I didn't want them to fight because of me."

Chin and Kono stared silently at the pair, waiting to see if there would be any fallout from the first mention of either Stan or Rachel since they'd found Grace. They also all mentally filed the piece information about them fighting away.

Wrapping his arms tightly around her, Steve's mind raced to come up with something to say. "It was very sweet of you to be so nice about accepting the things they gave you, but I'm sure they would have picked other colors had they known."

Her shrug and rather unconvinced, "Maybe," did little to convince the adults that she believed that. They all wondered about what things had really been like for Grace with her mother and stepfather. It was clear to everybody that she preferred her time with Danno and the Five-0 ohana, but she'd always been careful not to mention anything bad about the parents she spent the majority of her time with.

The quietness of the room was interrupted by Steve's cell phone ringing from the island. Kono jumped up to grab it so he and Grace didn't have to move.

"McGarrett's phone, this is Kono."

"Why are you answering Steve's phone? Is Grace okay? Is he okay?" Danny fired of the questions without breathing. His heart couldn't take more bad news.

"Relax, Danny. They're nice and comfy in the living room. I answered so they didn't have to move. Here's Steve."

She handed the phone off to the boss. "Danno, take a breath. We're just hanging out at home sorting through every possible bedroom idea that existed on the island, thanks to Kono."

"Let me guess, babe, it won't be pink." From the tone of his voice, Steve guessed that Danny had talked to Rachel about the color to no avail.

Putting the phone on speaker, the Seal smirked. "Nope, we were thinking more of a military helicopter theme. I bet I can get some really good pictures for the walls. Maybe even some spare pieces to mount around the room."

"You are not turning Grace's room in to some… some… shrine to the Army." Hearing him get keyed up for a long rant, everyone in the room fell into a fit of laughter.

"Danno, its Navy not Army." The little girl managed to choke out between laughs. Even knowing he was joking, she loved to correct him every time she made the mistake.

"Am I on speaker phone? You set me up!" The detective sounded indignant, though Steve could hear a hint of laughter in his voice. He could readily imagine that the sound of his daughter's laughter was something his partner loved to hear, need to hear, even if it was at his expense.

"Just a bit. Don't worry Danno, there aren't any helicopters in the ranks of possibilities yet, though that could change before you get back."

Before the detective could respond, Chin interrupted. "Hate to break this party up, but Kono and I are going to head home and get some sleep. One of us will be at the airport, Danny, so look for our cars. It okay if we come back around about lunchtime tomorrow? We'll bring the food." The pair had scouted out the kitchen earlier and decided they'd need to stock the boss's place a bit better given all the time everyone would likely be spending there in the coming days.

"Yeah, that'd be good." Steve gave them a nod as Grace stood to give them both a hug. While she was occupied, he took the phone off speaker and spoke quietly. "I'll give you a call later if I can."

Danny was grateful. He wanted to know more about how his baby girl was, but couldn't dare ask anything that might upset her. For now, he'd settle for an update on how the evening was going.

As the cousins headed out, the little girl reclaimed her spot on Steve's lap and he shifted the phone back to speaker.

"How was your flight?" The Seal asked the obvious question.

"Boring, but I'll be happy when I get home. Aside from helicopters, what are you thinking about for your room, Monkey?" He was more than willing to talk about home décor forever if she was enjoying it.

"We've got lots of options, Danno. We're waiting to narrow it down until you get home." She looked over the options spread around them. "Aunt Kono found some ideas with dolphins and fish, they look really neat."

"You mean being on an island surrounded by water and unknown sea creatures isn't enough?" He joked.

"Trust me, Danno. You have to see the pictures. They are awesome!" Both men could already tell there was a high likelihood that they'd be buying all kinds of marine life décor in the near future.

The detective thought the amount of time she spent with Super Seal clearly impacted her growing love of the ocean and its occupants. He'd lost count of the number of times he heard Steve answering her questions and showing her new things. For someone that lacked patience with some people, he'd spend hours explaining things to her as if there were nothing he'd rather be doing.

Personally, Danny preferred to be on dry land, but it never failed to make his heart melt when he watched his beloved daughter and partner get excited over their latest aquatic adventure.

"Gracie, is it starting to hurt again?" She'd reached to grab one of the magazines and he noticed her wince. You're about due for another dose."

She met his eyes and then looked at the phone, not wanting to worry Danno when she knew he would already be upset that he wasn't here.

"It's okay. It's not that bad." Her face didn't match her words and Steve nodded in understanding, though he suspect Danny would catch on too. He gave himself a mental kick for asking while they were still one the phone.

"Gracie, if it hurts you need to take the meds, Monkey. We don't want you to be in pain." Despite the joking tone of the call to this point, his heart broke that his baby was in pain, he hadn't been there to prevent it, and he wasn't there to help fix it yet.

"Why don't I go grab them and some juice while you talk to Danno some more?" Steve wanted her to feel better and wanted to give his partner a chance to speak to his daughter alone.

Gracie nodded and shifted to sit beside him as he handed her the phone. He quickly rose, grabbed the remnants of dinner, and headed toward the kitchen.

As he cleaned up, he listened to her quiet voice in the other room, reassuring Danno that she would be okay until he got home.

"It's okay, Danno. You'll be home soon and Da… Steve is taking great care of me. Kono, Chin, and Kamekona too."

He caught her almost slip again. Outside Rachel's house Sunday, he thought he was just hearing things. He was starting to be convinced this wasn't just his imagination and wishful thinking.

He was going to have to ask Danny about that when he got home, although he was unsure exactly how to bring it up or what to say. Admittedly, a very large part of him wished that she would call him Daddy, that the three of them were really a family. Of course, admitting the latter part of that to anyone other than himself might be a challenge.

Hearing Grace's footsteps coming toward the kitchen, he quickly finished cleaning up and grabbed a carton of juice and a cup to set on the island.

"Okay Danno, I'll tell him. Love you. We'll see you in the morning." She set the phone on the island in front of her and accepted the pain medicine and juice from Steve.

"Danno said to call him when you have time to talk." She looked up at him. "I think he meant after I'm asleep."

The Seal chuckled as he mussed her hair. "One day, Gracie, you are going to make an excellent detective."

/

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	7. Chapter 7

**Guardian**

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 7**

Thirty minutes after taking her meds, Grace could barely hold her head up as she lost the battle to stay awake.

"Ready for bed, kiddo?" Steve asked quietly, trying not to startle her. A sleepy nod was the only answer he received.

Standing up, he carefully reached down and scooped her off the couch. Her head fell naturally onto his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Carrying her up the stairs, he continued speaking gently. "If you need anything tonight just let me know. I'll be right across the hall in my room. Do you want me to leave the bathroom light on so the hall isn't so dark?" His mind raced to think of anything else she may need.

"Yes." She whispered.

Setting her on the bed, he quickly opened a dresser drawer and found the shorts and Navy PT shirt she usually slept in when she and Danny stayed over. He couldn't even remember how she'd manage to get ahold of it, but he'd long since given up on getting it back. Honestly, he'd give up his entire wardrobe to her if it meant they stayed here and she was happy.

Setting her pajamas on the bed next to where she sat, he leaned down to give her one more hug and a kiss on the forehead.

"I love you, Gracie." His normally strong voice wavered a bit. It had been a long day and the idea that he could have lost her rattled him.

"Love you too, Uncle Steve."

Heading out of the room, the Seal glanced back to make sure she was still awake enough to change. Seeing her standing by the bed, PJs in hand, he pulled the door closed.

/

Sitting on the edge of the hotel bed, head buried in his hands, Danny fell apart. He'd been on the verge ever since the first conversation with Steve, but the rush to get home and crowds of complete strangers forced him to keep it together.

He wanted to be home. He wanted to have Grace wrapped in his arms. If he was completely honest, he wanted to have them both wrapped in Steve's arms. Danny just knew Steve's strength was going to get them all through this.

Deciding he was going to get nowhere berating himself over not being there for Grace, Danny opted to focus on his other problem – what to do about Steve.

He really wasn't sure when things had changed. When had he gone from being the crazy Seal's reluctant partner, to considering him his best friend, to considering him one of the most trusted and adored people in his world?

He supposed the first step probably started when Steve arranged for he and Grace to spend the weekend at a hotel, swimming with dolphins, instead of at Danny's dump of an apartment. He hadn't known either of them, but he was so quick to do something nice for Grace. So quick to make sure she enjoyed spending time with her dad.

The Mission Impossible theme song erupted from his cell phone and he immediately reached for it. Taking a deep breath, he pulled himself together as best he could.

"Hey, babe. How are you two holding up?" He was relieved to hear from his partner again.

"We're keeping it together." Steve sounded tired. "Danny, I'm worried about her. She's been amazingly calm so far, but I really think we need to get her into counseling quickly. I don't want her to bottle everything up inside and try to cope alone."

The detective shared those sentiments. "In other words, you don't want her to become like you?" His attempt at their normal banter fell flat. "I'm sorry, babe. You know I don't really think you're that messed up, right?"

The line was silent for a short moment. "S'okay, Danno. I know what you meant and I'll admit that, yes, my own experiences are part of why I feel so strongly about getting her to see someone. I'm sorry, Danny. I'm not her father and I'm sure you've got it covered, but that will girl means the world to me."

The Jersey native could barely keep from falling apart again. They definitely needed to talk when he was back on the island.

"I know, Steven, I know. You don't have to apologize. I have thought about it, but I have no idea who to take her to. It's not as if a parent being killed is an altogether normal. I can't imagine there are that many child psychologists truly experienced with handling this."

"Actually, I have an idea." The Seal sounded almost happy to be able to assist. "I can check with the base shrink for some referrals. I trust him and any good military shrink has a network of civilians for the families of service members."

Danny smacked himself in the head. He should have realized that. "Of course, that's a really good idea."

"I'll make the call tomorrow. In the meantime, Gracie fell asleep, thanks to the meds, about twenty minutes ago. I left the bathroom light on in case she needs to come find me."

Cracking a small smile, he realized that his partner had hit the point of too much emotion and had now fallen back into the safety of rattling off an update like any other situation report at work.

"She ate plenty for dinner. A couple slices of pizza and a bunch of fruits and veggies that we had to munch on while we worked. I really think the effort to keep her distracted with the designs made a huge difference. I owe Kono for pulling that together."

"Ah yes, just how many neatly filed design magazines do you have tucked away in that house somewhere now?" He knew how OCD the man could be about keeping things neat and orderly.

Steve actually laughed. "None. They are all strewn, in an a system organized by Grace, across the living room floor. We didn't want to mess them up only to spread them out tomorrow."

"I'm impressed." More like he was shocked. "All kidding aside, Steve, how are you doing?"

"I'm fine." The Seal clammed up.

"Like hell you are." He wasn't going to let him off that easy and was actually surprised when Steve spoke up again.

"Fine. I'm not fine, but I'm damn sure trying to be. I'd like to have ripped Stan to pieces this morning. Hell, I'd like to be there now giving him a piece of my mind, but right now I'm trying to focus on keeping things as calm and normal as I can for her."

The mix of frustration, determination, and pain in his partner's voice made tears pool in Danny's eyes. He could envision the ferocity of the emotions his extremely lethal partner was struggling to bury to take care of his daughter. Hell, he was struggling with the same ones.

"That answer I believe. I'd feel the same way in your shoes and you have no idea how much I appreciate that you are there with her. So, when do you plan to pay Stan a visit?"

"In the dead of night; when no one is watching." His tone was serious, but he paused. "Well, I wish anyway. Once you get home. If Grace is doing okay Chin and Kono can watch her for a bit while we go pay him a visit."

Danny liked that plan. "Think they can bail on work for a while to cover for us?"

"No. They won't need to. Denning granted all of us leave to handle our family crisis. He's even running interference with the press."

"Wow, what'd you do to convince him to do all that? I know he's been warming up to us, but still." The Governor had been growing on the team as well, but Danny didn't think they'd quite reached that level yet.

"You know he and his staff aren't immune to Grace. They've met her and they all adore her, just like everyone does." Danny held his tongue and decided not to point out that clearly not everyone, even those that should have, felt that way. "Enough about the Governor. How are you holding up? I'm half surprised you didn't hijack a plane to make it home tonight."

"Don't think I didn't consider it; however, that is something you would do. I can't fly on of those things, so the option was somewhat limiting for me. Honestly, it's killing me not to be there, but at least I know Grace has the next best thing to her Danno."

"Danny." The detective knew where his partner was headed and cut him off.

"No, Steven. You are not allowed to argue. Shit, my phone is about to die and I have to find my charger." The obnoxious beep came at the most inopportune time. "You are not allowed to stay up all night brooding over things that you couldn't control. I'll be home as soon as I can and we'll talk more then, but don't you dare think that any of us blame you for everything that went wrong this week. You… you are the only reason I haven't completely lost it today. Just keep doing what you're doing."

"We'll be waiting for you. Let me know when you land."

Receiving quick agreement, they disconnected the call. Instead of getting up to find the charger, Danny stared at the phone in his hands.

How was he going to handle this? How as he going to act like moving in with Steve wasn't a big deal? He'd already figured out that the Seal and Grace had no intention of this being a short-term arrangement. With the way they were together, he wouldn't dream of separating them, but could he keep his own feelings out of the equation?

/

Changing into a pair of cotton pants and a t-shirt, Steve stared out the window from his room. He hadn't lied when he told Danno he wanted to rip Stan apart. He wanted him to pay for every second of sadness, fear, and uncertainty Grace was facing.

He wondered how he was going to help fix this. Therapy would help. He should probably encourage Danny to see the therapist as well. He'd gladly go too, if invited, but not having any real claim or relationship to Grace meant that was unlikely.

He was glad he decided to have them move here. Even more so that Danny had offered no resistance at this point. He only wished he knew how this would work. Was it too much to hope that this might help change the dynamic of their relationship? Or would he remain the faithful best friend?

Looking at the clock, he realized he'd been staring out the window for well over an hour. Hearing a muffled sound from Gracie's room, he wasted no time going to check on her.

Her small frame was shifting restlessly in the bed. "No! No! Please no!" The whimpered cries came from the sleeping girl.

Sitting on the side of the bed, Steven gently shook her shoulder. "Gracie. Wake up. It's okay, you're safe."

As he continued to gently shake her and repeat the words, her eyes finally opened. She seemed to be searching the room before her eyes finally met his.

"Daddy!" She launched herself into his arms and sobbed loudly.

He knew he hadn't heard her wrong this time. Part of him wanted to ask her, but this wasn't the time to dig into his mysterious new title. Instead he wrapped his arms tightly around her, wishing he could this all better.

Lifting her in his arms, he rose, grabbing a blanket and headed to the door.

"Why don't we go camp out on the couch tonight?"

Her sobs had quickly subsided to a quiet cry in his arms. She nodded her head against his shoulders, seemingly wrapping her small arms tighter around his neck.

Settling onto the couch, Steve kept her cradled against his chest, her legs resting on the cushion next to him.

Somewhat awkwardly, he managed to spread the blanket over them. He'd slept sitting up in far more uncomfortable positions countless times, so if this allowed Grace to sleep peacefully, he'd be perfectly content to stay like this forever.

/

Take a moment and review. I really appreciate every one of them. It is always nice to know people are enjoying the story.


	8. Chapter 8

**Guardian**

A/N: Alas, Danno is home For the reviewer that asked, he was in a hotel because by the time he was able to leave NJ the flights involved an overnight layover in California.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 8**

"Thanks for picking me up, Chin. You know I could have just grabbed a taxi." Danny shoved his suitcase in the back seat.

"Brah, that's insulting and you know it. No ohana of mine is taking a taxi from the airport. Besides, I lost. Kono gets to pick Mom up this evening."

Chin was glad to see the indignant frown on the other man's face.

"Seriously? I'm being trumped by my own mother? You guys have only met her once."

The Hawaiian laughed. "I know, but her cooking will never be forgotten. Think we'll ever convince her to move here?"

Danny watched the island scenery fly by as Chin navigated toward Steve's house.

"A year ago, heck a week ago, I would have denied that possibility. Now, faced with both Grace and Steve for however long she stays on this trip, I'm not so sure. I swear my mother loves them both more than me." He smirked.

Everyone knew his mom adored all three of them, though she did seem to have a soft spot for Steve. He'd yet to figure out how the Super Seal managed to win her over so fast. Of course, Danny had to admit while it had taken longer for the Seal to win him over; the result was no less concrete.

The rest of the drive passed with Chin reviewing the details of his conversation with Stan. There was no indication of prior physical abuse at the Edwards house and the mean were still stunned Stan had snapped so completely.

"How are Steve and Grace holding up?" He knew they'd both been trying to play tough for him. Even though he'd gotten Steve to open up some last night, he worried that he was still trying to play tough. "We've only swapped texts this morning to confirm I made it on the plane."

Continuing to watch the road, Chin contemplated is answer.

"They're making it. They both miss you." He silently wondered if Danny and Steve would ever quit dancing around things and admit their feelings. The cousins were convinced this tragedy might actually be the catalyst. "Steve is being Steve."

Danny quirked an eyebrow. "I assume you mean Gracie's Steve not Rambo Steve."

"Precisely, brah. Precisely. He has been there for her since the school called. Anyone outside our ohana would be floored to see it."

"I don't doubt it. I don't think any of us would believe it if we hadn't been there to see it develop." Of course, Danny knew that, at least in Grace's eyes, there was even more to it than the others saw.

"Anyway, she's doing remarkably well given everything that's happened. Not sure how much is just shock at this point though, so I'd imagine it's going to get worse before it gets better. I'm sure the funeral will be rough, but we'll all be there."

Danny sighed, he hadn't thought about the funeral.

"Rachel's mother is flying in and handling the arrangements. Duke spoke with her yesterday."

He was relieved it hadn't somehow fallen to him. He would have done it for Grace's sake, but it was a distraction didn't welcome.

Pulling into Steve's driveway, Chin gave Danny's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Kono and I will be back in about an hour with lunch. She's of doing some shopping now so you guys won't have to."

"Thanks man. We'll see you soon." He hopped out and grabbing his bag.

Approaching the door, he found it still locked and fumbled in his pocket for his keys. If they'd fallen asleep, he didn't want to wake them.

Opening the door quietly, he left his bag in the entry and crept toward the sound of soft snoring in the living room.

Seeing the scene in front of him, he couldn't resist taking his phone out and snapping a picture. The sight of his partner sitting up, head fallen back against the back of the couch, and arms wrapped securely around Grace in his arms made his heard clench. He loved them both so much.

Phone safely tucked back away, Danny slid onto the couch next to his daughter's feet.

At the slight movement of the couch, Steve's head snapped up, instantly alert.

"Relax, babe." Danny whispered just loud enough for him to hear. "It's just me."

"Welcome home, Danno. Sorry, I didn't mean to fall asleep again before you get here." He still sounded a bit groggy.

"Rough night?" The detective gestured to the sleeping girl.

"Not too bad. One bad nightmare about an hour and a half after we talked. I brought her out here and that seemed to help." Steve leaned closer to Grace's ear. "Gracie, Danno's here."

Her eyes opened sleepily and looked up at Steve. He looked toward his partner and was thrilled to see the smile spread across her face as her eyes followed his.

Opening his arms to her, Danno moved closer, so her legs were draped over his lap and he was next to Steve.

The little girl slipped into her father's lap and hugged him tightly. Tears filled the man's eyes as he looked to his partner.

"Thank you." He mouthed silently.

Shaking his head, as if to deny he'd done anything, and suddenly feeling as if he were intruding on the reunion, Steve started to stand.

Arms wrapped around his daughter, Danny still managed to get a hand on Steve's forearm, stalling his retreat. As their eyes met, he shook his head. "Stay." He mouthed.

The Seal gave him a cautious look, but leaned back into the cushions. Continuing to watch the father and daughter, Steve wondered what would happen now that they were reunited. Would they settle into comfortable routine with the three of them or would he end up being the close range outsider looking in on the family.

Giving himself a mental shake, Steve decided he was going to try his best to make them a family. Clearly Grace already considered him family. It was just a matter of figuring out what role Danny was going to let him play.

Looking back to the pair beside him, he found them both staring at him.

"Lost ya there for a second, babe." His partner elbowed him in the ribs.

"I'm glad you're home, Danno. We've missed you." Grace smiled up at both of them. With the two men here, she could almost pretend everything was still okay. That nothing at the Edwards' house had actually happened.

"I'm very glad to be home, Monkey. I missed you too. Both of you." He heard Steve's stomach growling and chuckled as he gave the larger man a sardonic look. "Skip breakfast?"

Looking rather sheepish that he'd failed to feed Grace, he admitted quietly. "We lost track of time. I'd planned to fix breakfast, but apparently, I fell back asleep. Sorry."

Danny's hand clamped firmly over his mouth stalled his apology. "Relax, babe. It's not the first breakfast missed in the Williams' house. From the look of it, you two needed the sleep more than you needed breakfast. Anyway, Chin and Kono will be here in less than an hour with food."

Grace wriggled around on her father's lap until her feet where draped over Steve's legs. One arm stretched across her stomach to clasp Danny's hand on her side. Without thinking, she stretched her other out to grab Steve's hand where he'd rested it on her knee and pulled it further into her lap.

"Can we show Danno the ideas for my room?" She looked hopefully up at Steve.

"I have an idea, Monkey." Her father answered first. "Why don't the pair of you go get dressed for the day before everybody while I go make some coffee. Then you can show me everything."

"Okay." Giving both men a hug, she slipped off their laps and scurried up stairs. Hesitating for only a moment, Steve rose and started to follow up the stairs. Before he could get more than a step away from the couch, he felt Danny's hand on his arm.

Turning, he was surprised to be pulled into the shorter man's arms for a tight hug. "You, Super Seal, are an amazing man."

Steve was still too shocked to argue with his partner as he wrapped his arms around him, returning the hug. They stood in silence for a moment, before Danny loosened his grip.

"Now, get your ass upstairs and get dressed while I fix the coffee. I think we could both use some."

"Thanks, Danno." Steven turned to head up the stairs. His return wasn't going to mean things would be perfect, things were going to get harder before they got easier, but somehow it felt more manageable now.

Watching the Seal disappear up the stairs, Danny smiled. Pulling out his phone he looked at the picture of the sleeping pair. That one needed to go somewhere that he could see it often.

Still looking at the picture, he headed toward the coffee pot realizing he better make good on the promise of coffee.

/

Take a moment and review. It's wonderful to know what you all think of the story.


	9. Chapter 9

**Guardian**

A/N: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 9**

Danny had barely turned the coffee pot on when his partner reappeared. He quickly decided he could get used to the sight in front of him.

"Steven, do you own anything other than cargo pants?" Though the detective had to admit the man looked good in them with a snug grey t-shirt that seemed to set off his eyes. He grinned seeing Steve still with bare feet.

"Of course I do." He scoffed indignantly.

"Army issued uniforms and PT gear don't count." He smiled at the grimace on Steve's face.

"Danno, he's in the Navy, not the Army. Get it right." Grace entered the room, defending the Seal once again.

Turning to the entry, Steve reached down and swept the little girl up into his arms. As her legs wrapped around his waist, she gave him a broad smile.

"Thank you, Gracie. Nice to know someone can tell the difference." He smiled at her choice of shirts. The 'Five-0 In Training' shirt Chin had given her for her birthday the year before was well worn. She'd told him once that it reminded her she was strong and tough like all of them. At the time, he'd wondered why she needed to feel strong and tough. Right now, he was glad she had something to remind her.

"Okay, fine. Navy. Still Navy issued clothing doesn't count."

Thinking for a second, Steve appeared to running a mental inventory. "I bought my swimming trunks."

The three erupted in laughter.

"Monkey, we may need to take him shopping someday. Expand his fashion horizons beyond the military standard."

Steve groaned as Danny slipped a cup of freshly brewed coffee into his hands.

The three fell silent as they settled into stools at the island. The men drank their coffee as Grace sipped the juice Steve gave her with a couple of Tylenol, staring at the glass.

"Why did he do it?" Her voice broke the silence. Danny and Steve both looked to her. "Why did Stan kill Mommy? He could have just left."

She shed no tears, as she looked up, a serious expression on her face.

"We don't really know, Grace, but we plan to find out." Danny wanted to speak to Stan before giving her the story Chin had relayed to them. Plus, he needed time to sort out what to tell her.

"I want to know. Can you go ask him now that you're home?"

They'd planned to have the cousins watch her so they could do just that, but had thought they'd need to come up with a way for her to be okay with them leaving.

"Yes, Grace. Danno and I can go after lunch if you're okay staying with Kono and Chin."

She nodded her head and took another drink, leaving the two men staring at each other a bit confused. Grant it, neither of them blamed her for wanting answers, but they hadn't expected her to send them off to find them.

After a few moments of silence, Grace looked up again. "Can we show Danno the ideas for my room now?"

The pair released the breath they'd both been holding.

"Of course, Monkey. I'd love to see what you guys came up with. I'm quite impressed with how fast you two have mastered interior design."

Excited to show off what she'd decided she wanted as her new room, Grace hurried off to the living room.

Following more slowly behind, Danny looked up at Steve. "She had me scared for a minute there."

"Me too, Danno, me too." Steve wrapped an arm around his best friend and led him into the living room.

Grace already had the stuff for the favored design in hand and was kneeling in front of the coffee table, facing the couch. Taking their seats, both men focused their attention on her.

"I really like this one." She declared. "But if you don't we can find something else." She added hastily as if afraid being so decisive about her own room would upset them. Given what Steve had learned about her room at Rachel's he could understand.

"Gracie, we talked about this yesterday. I want you to make it your room. Unless you plan on covering it with something we think is inappropriate, which I know you don't, it's your choice. Right, Danno?"

Steve took the lead knowing his partner was likely to harbor some concern about upsetting what he always seemed convinced was Steve's delicately balanced structure in the house. Albeit, until Grace that wasn't far from accurate, but now he wanted it to feel like home not just the house he'd inherited.

"Right. It's your room, so show us what we're going to do." If Steve was prepared to go all in on this, he wasn't going to argue. He just couldn't muster up any motivation to argue them living here when a part of him wanted the proximity to the Seal for other reasons.

Satisfied that she wasn't in trouble for making up her mind, Grace set out several pages and a few paint sample cards.

Steve nearly beamed at her. The ocean was their thing and seeing her so excited to bring that to her room made him incredibly happy.

"I like both of these colors for the walls." She held up two shades of a beautiful bluish-green. "I just can't decide which one."

Danny grinned at her. "It's going to look like you're sleeping underwater." She raised her eyebrow at him. "Okay, I suppose that's the point. Anyway, I bet we can get some small sample jars of each and decide then."

Leaning forward to pick up a magazine page, Steve held it up for the other two. "Maybe we can do something like this." He pointed to a picture where one wall was in a darker shade."

"Never would have pegged you as the Martha Steward type, babe, but you may be on to something." He and the little girl both laughed at Steve's mock offended face.

The next half an hour was spent looking at pictures Grace really liked. Noticing she seemed to lean toward the realistic paintings and pictures of ocean life, Steve had an idea.

"Hey Gracie, I have a friend that paints murals of sea life. Would you like to meet her and see if she can do something cool for one of your walls?"

The little girl jumped up and nearly launched herself at him. "Yes. Please. Can we?"

Danny smiled at the pair of them. "I think she likes that plan."

Situating her on his leg, one arm wrapped around her, the Seal laughed. "Never would have guessed."

The trio all seemed pleased with the progress they'd made thus far. Danny was happy to see Grace smiling, having feared the worst during his entire trip. Once again, he considered how easy it would be to get used to life with the three of them together.

As Grace chattered away about picking out bedding, Danny stole a glance at Steve and was surprised to find the Seal staring at him with a somewhat wistful expression. Their eyes locked for a moment before Steve looked away.

Before he could wonder more about their shared look, he heard the sound of car doors closing.

"Sounds like lunch is here." Steve commented as Grace stood next to him. "Let me go unlock the door."

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, McGarrett opened the door to find Kono with her arms full of bags. This time, Chin followed behind, equally laden.

"There's more in the car, brah."

Steve looked somewhat bewildered. "Are we expecting company for lunch?"

Chin paused in the doorway. "No, just didn't think you guys would be quite ready for the grocery yet."

Understanding hit Steve. The cousins were protecting them from prying eyes and question they may not be ready to face yet. Denning said word was out and as Five-0's leader, plenty of people would recognize him.

"Thanks, Chin." Letting the door fall closed, he jogged out to get the remaining bags. When he returned to the house, he found the rest of the team and Grace busily putting things away. After so many team gatherings and weekends spent here, they all knew their way around the McGarrett kitchen almost as well as he did.

Starting on a second bag, Danny help up a box of lasagna noodles and looked accusingly at the cousins. "Why am I noticing a very Italian trend here?"

Both cousins froze in place.

"What did you two do?" Danny stared them down, hands on his hips.

Exchanging guilty looks, Kono finally spoke up. "We may have talked to Mom last night and gotten a list of ingredients she would need for cooking."

"You called my mother? In the middle of the night in New Jersey?" Danny sounded both exasperated and amused.

"Actually, she called us. Right after we left here. She was up all night in a flurry getting ready for the trip. Said she'd sleep better on the plane if she knew she'd be able to cook a good meal tomorrow, but didn't want you two fussing over groceries."

Danny shook his head as he threw his hands up in defeat. "That sounds just like her." Turning to face Steve, he asked. "Are you sure you are prepared for the force that is my mother to take over your house?"

"We'll be fine, Danno. I'm looking forward to seeing Mom again." He struggled to admit it, but lethal Seal or not, he missed having a mother to take care of him sometimes. Doris had briefly reappeared in his life after he'd discovered her, but just as quickly vanished again. Even if she'd stayed he wasn't sure he could really trust her again, really let down his guard enough to let her be mom.

Danny fought the urge to cross the room and wrap his partner in his arms. He didn't have to be a genius to know what Steve was thinking. He could kill a man in more ways than Danny could imagine, but sometimes he was just a lost little boy.

In a move that didn't really surprise her father, Grace did exactly what he wanted to. For someone so young, she was incredibly adept at ready Steve.

The little girl wrapped her arms around Steve's neck. As soon as she reached out to hug him, he'd lifted her into his arms. "It'll be nice to have Grandma here."

Of course, Grace wasn't about to tell that that this unexpected trip meant she and Grandma could enact their plan sooner than either had expected.

/

A/N: Up next – a visit to Stan.

Take a moment and review. It's wonderful to know what you all think of the story.


	10. Chapter 10

**Guardian**

A/N: This chapter nearly wrote itself, but at the same time was a bit emotionally challenging. Please let me know what you think after you've read, I'm hoping I've done them justice.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 10**

Sitting out on the lanai after lunch, the men watched as Grace and Kono built what started as a sand castle, but was starting to look a fair bit more elaborate.

"What time are you guys planning to go to HPD?"

They'd discussed the plan over lunch with the cousins readily assenting.

"We should probably go now. From the looks of it those two are building an entire sand city and will be well occupied until our return."

Chin continued to watch his cousin with the little girl. "Don't worry; we'll take good care of her. I'll give Duke a call and let him know that you're coming so they're ready for you."

The partners thanked him and moved toward the water to let the girls know. They were pleased that while Grace hugged hem both tightly, she didn't seem afraid that they were leaving for a bit.

In the Camaro and headed toward HPD both men were quiet at first.

"You know, I should call Dr. Thompson and get those referrals."

"Good idea, babe. I'm sure it'll take a few days to get in with one of them. Do you have the number?"

Not answering the question, Steve tapped the phone mounted on the dash and a few touches later, it began to ring.

Danny filed that information away for later. Steve had a shrink in his phone contacts. That was unexpected.

On the third ring, a pleasant sounding man answered the phone. "Commander McGarrett, how's my favorite patient?"

"I've been better, doc, but this call isn't about me. It's about Grace."

Danny gave him a puzzled look. Not only was the shrink in his contacts, he clearly knew Steve well, and knew who Grace was?

Steve continued, "Danny is here with me."

"I should have expected this call. I heard what happened on the news. How is Grace?"

Steve glanced at his partner from the corner of his eye and saw him staring back expectantly.

"All things considered, she's doing great. She's with Chin and Kono now. She asked us to go find out why he did it."

"From what you've told me about her, I'm not surprised. Although she's young, she is also very mature and seems to adore Five-0, so I suspect she's attacking this entire crisis in a very logical manner. She knows the when, the where, the who, and the how. The missing piece is the why and knowing that piece of the puzzle may eventually allow her to come to terms better. However, I suspect you had more of a reason in calling and I'd be happy to send you a list of a couple very good child and family therapists that will be well prepared to help. I suspect they'll all be familiar with the basics from the news, but if you need helping getting in quickly tell them I sent you."

"Thanks, doc. You knew before I even asked."

"That, Commander, is they pay me what they do. Now, go get your girl some answers and I'll send that email in about five minutes. When things settle down I expect to see you in my office."

With no further conversation, the line disconnected, leaving the car in silence for a few miles.

"Go ahead, Danno. Just say what's on your mind." He could only imagine the rant was coming now that his partner knew he'd been seeing a shrink. He'd been going since not long after he met Grace. Things that never bothered him before suddenly did. He had a hard time reconciling the killer he knew he was with the person he wanted to be for the little girl.

"Actually, babe, I'll admit I was taken by surprise, but I'm really proud of you. I know too many tough guys that won't talk to anyone when they need to and I'm really glad to hear that you do." The absolute sincerity in Danny's voice was unexpected.

Pulling into the parking spot, Steve turned off the car, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After what felt like minutes, but was really just a few seconds, he turned to look at his partner.

"Really?" His voice was hopeful.

"Yes, Steven, really. I worry about you sometimes. I know we talk, but I also know there is a lot you have to censor and I'm profoundly happy to know you have someone that you can speak freely to without worrying about security clearances. Believe it or not, Super Seal, your ohana doesn't expect you to be invincible all of the time."

Danny's heart melted at the smile on his partner's face. He could only imagine the courage it took for him to make that call with him in the car, knowing his relationship with the Navy doctor was likely to come out. He'd gotten over whatever fear he had about the reaction because it was the best thing for Grace.

"Thanks, Danny. Means a lot to know you understand." Clearly reaching his capacity for heartfelt discussions, he pushed the door open. "Now, let's go pay Mr. Edwards a visit."

Duke met them at the door. "He's waiting for you in the interrogation room." The three headed that direction. "So far he's maintained his story from yesterday. At least he didn't try to play stupid. It appears his lawyer won't touch the case, so he's stuck with the provided council. Apparently, that's one lawyer with a bit of conscience and a fear of crossing Five-0. Governor Denning made sure we have the best prosecutor on the case."

Reaching the door, Duke nodded to the officer standing on guard and watched the pair disappear into the room. He ducked into the small observation room. No matter what happened, he'd swear their behavior was above reproach, although he knew them well enough to know they would be careful with this one because it was so close to home.

Stan looked up at the sound of the door opening and had to swallow back the bile that rose in his throat. Though everything had been done by the book, his handling had been far from friendly thus far.

Seeing McGarrett and Williams enter the room, he thought there was a chance they'd decided to dispense with the formality of a trial altogether and dispose of him now.

He had a fleeting thought that the taller man resembled a caged tiger ready to spring as he positioned himself in the back corner of the room. His back leaned against the wall, arms crossed menacingly in front of him; McGarrett didn't look pleased, making Stan swallow nervously.

Danny pulled out the seat across from the prisoner, flipped it backward and sat. Clearly coiled to jump up at the slightest provocation, the smaller man was only slightly less frightening than his counterpart. Stan was slightly amazed that every suspect they faced didn't immediately confess.

"Tell me about what happened, Stan?" The detective's voice dared him not to answer.

"I already told Chin, things have fallen apart at work. Things were already rough between Rachel and me, so I'd kept it from her. I didn't want another reason to fight when things were already clearly ending. I got home after having a couple of drinks and we argued. I lashed out and the next thing I knew she was on the floor bleeding."

Danny's icy glare scared him; however, Steve's stony voice terrified him. "You didn't think to call 911?"

"I was drunk. All I could think is how bad it would look. Then Grace was screaming. She and I struggled and the next thing I knew she locked herself in the bathroom and I was in the kitchen with a bottle of scotch and a black eye."

"You struggled?" Steve's voice took on a deadly edge that even gave Danny the chills as he came away from the wall. "You tore her clothes, left bruises all over her body, and all you can say is you struggled?"

It took every bit of restraint the Seal possessed not to jump over the table and throttle Stan. The prisoner, for his part, seemed scared into silence.

"What I want to know and what Grace wants to know, is why. Why did things turn violent? Why is her mother dead?" Danny fixed his eyes on Stan. He wanted answers for his baby girl.

"It's not like I planned it. Yes, I believed our marriage was over, despite Rachel's attempts to convince herself and everyone around us otherwise, but I never intended to hurt her. It was just too much, she wouldn't stop pushing for answers and I needed her to be quiet. One second we were arguing and then she was silent."

"Well, that's a pathetic excuse for us to give Grace." Danny stared down his ex's killer as Steve lurked barely a foot behind him. The closer the Seal got to Stan the more the detectives skin crawled with nervous anticipation of what would happen next.

"How is Grace doing?" Stan brazenly asked. His tone convinced neither man he actually cared.

"You don't get to ask that question anymore." Danny replied flatly.

"Why the hell not? I've been playing the part of daddy for quite some time now."

The words were barely out of his mouth when Steven lunged. "You have no claim on that name. All you've ever given that little girl is rabbit and a lifetime of therapy bills."

Scrambling to get away from the clearly enraged Seal, Stan managed to tip his chair back and crash to the floor.

Towering over him, Steve's voice dropped so low that no one in the observation room would have heard his next words. "I've been more of a father to that little girl than you ever dreamed of being, you stupid son of a bitch."

Before Steve could get his hand on Stan, Danny grabbed his shoulder from behind. "Steven, look at me." His voice sounded a bit panicked feeling the tension radiating from where his hands gripped his partner.

He waited for the taller man to turn and comply. Seeing the look in his eyes, Danny could well understand Stan's attempts to flee.

"I know you want to kill him, so do I, but right now Gracie needs us both to keep it together. One or both of us sitting in a jail cell because of him will do her no good."

Nodding silently, the Seal gave the still handcuffed man on the floor one final glare before he turned and left the room, the detective right behind him.

Duke met them in the hall. "I think he might need to change his pants after that." The older man snickered. "He'll get what's coming to him. I have no doubt word will get out amongst the other prisoners and you know they don't typically take well to violence against women and children."

The pair appreciated Duke's comments. Though they both wished they could have a hand in roughing him up, they knew that keeping themselves clean in his mess and being there for Grace was far more important.

"Speaking of Grace, everybody at the station pitched in and got her something. I'll meet you at the car in a few minutes with it."

"Thanks, Duke." The pair turned to leave.

Walking down the hall, they heard him direct two other officers to pick the trash up off the floor and put him back where he belonged.

Approaching the Camaro, Danny handed over the keys without question or comment. He could sense Steve needed to be in control of something and at the moment the car might be the only thing that would cooperate.

They stood staring at each other over the roof of the car, waiting for Duke to reappear with the gift. The expression on Steve's face worried Danny, but he couldn't quite place which face he was seeing.

"Steven, we need to talk. Let's go grab some coffee and go someplace we can talk privately." McGarrett's rarely seen kicked puppy face followed the fleeting look of panic; unfortunately, before he could say anything else Duke appeared with a rather large wrapped box for Grace.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	11. Chapter 11

**Guardian**

A/N: Here's where I admit to a few things…. First, the comment Steve made in the last chapter about rabbit and therapy bills is what originally started this entire story. Second, this chapter is a bit longer than normal and turned out longer than the original hand written version. Danny got a little long winded, but I didn't want to break the conversation into two chapters. Finally, while chapter 10 was daunting, I'm actually far more nervous about how this one is received, so if you review no other chapter, please take the few seconds to leave one and let me know your opinion on this one.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 11**

Steve got behind the wheel and brought the car to life as soon as Duke stepped away. After his outburst in the interrogation room, he expected Danny to be mad. Hell, he should have kept his mouth shut. It didn't matter than in every way that matter he was more of a father to Grace than Stan was; he never should have said that in front of his partner, in front of her actual father. Danny was a wonderful father and no one could ever dispute that or replace him in anyway.

Getting in the car, the shorter man said nothing. McGarrett's mind raced, trying to figure out a way out of this, a way not to lose them both because he'd opened his big mouth. Daring a sideways glance at his best friend, the man he often wished was more; he found Danny's blue eyes intently fixed on him.

The Jersey detective was growing increasingly worried about his partner. The interview with Stan had been intense, as he'd anticipated, but nothing jumped out at him as a reason for Steve to break out the kicked puppy look. Danny hated that look, it made him want to wrap the Seal in his arms and swear everything would be okay, but right now he wasn't actually sure what was wrong.

Several long, silent minutes later Steve pulled into a parking spot along the beach. There was a small coffee shop, but the area was largely abandoned at this time on a Thursday. The pair quickly exited the car.

"Why don't you go pick a bench and I'll grab the coffee?" Danny pointed in the direction of some empty benches facing the water and far enough away from the little shop that any interruptions were unlikely. He didn't particularly want to separate from Steve at that moment, but was half convinced he would scare the poor barista to death if he ordered his own coffee.

Giving a silent nod, Steve quickly made his way to an empty bench and sat. Staring out over the water, he rested his head in his hands as his mind raced. It killed him to think Danny was so mad that he couldn't even be near him. After a few minutes, his eyes dropped to the ground.

Sooner than expected, he saw Danny's shoes on the ground in front of him and felt the heat of the coffee cup pressed against his hand. Looking up, but managing not to meet the other man's eyes, he accepted the drink.

"Babe, I said we needed to talk, not that I was sending you to face the firing squad."

The Seal carefully avoided looking at his partner. Danny should have known he'd gotten too much out of Steve easily today; this was going to be challenge. Preparing himself to drag information about of him by force if necessary, he plopped himself down on the bench. Leaving barely an inch between them, he could feel the heat radiating from his partner and hoped that perhaps this physical proximity would help shake something loose.

"I'm so sorry, Danny. I didn't…." This wasn't McGarrett's half-assed apology for something stupid and the pain in the other man's voice finally made the Jersey native snap.

"Steven, why exactly does your Neanderthal brain see the need to apologize?" The Seal looked over, but quickly realized that an answers wasn't necessary. The shorter man was gearing up for a rant. Part of him wanted to relax slightly, a ranting Danny was a normal Danny and right now normal was a welcome feeling; however, he feared this rant would rip everything he'd hoped for away.

"I swear if I hear you apologize one more time for anything related to Stan Edwards I will throttle you myself. I don't care how well trained you are to defend yourself!" Still going, he set his cup on the ground and rose, hands gesturing wildly to emphasize his point. "You had no way of knowing what was happening this week. Given Rachel's comment Sunday, you had every reason to believe she was keeping Grace from calling you. You didn't cause Stan to lose his job. You didn't make him lie to Rachel about all the problems at work. You didn't make him drink so much. You didn't make him kill her and you damn sure didn't make him lay a hand on Grace!"

Steve stared up at him, slightly in awe of the fact that he'd gotten through all that without seeming to breathe. Maybe somehow is flailing hands were channeling oxygen to the rest of his body. Realizing his partner had gone quiet, Steve stared back out over the water, waiting for the axe to fall. After things remained silent for a moment, he opened his mouth.

"I know all that. As much as I want to think I could have and should have stopped it; it isn't my fault it happened. Believe me, I hold Stan firmly accountable for what he did, but I'll still always feel like I should have been there sooner. Danny, she spent two nights locked, terrified in that bathroom. She needed someone to be there and I failed her."

They hadn't come to the point of why he was actually apologizing yet, but Steve assumed they would get there soon enough. If this was the end, he didn't mind it dragging out longer.

"Steven, listen to me. That's not how I see it. To me, you were there when I was clear across the country. You didn't just pick up a phone to call too see if she was okay; you drove to that house and found her. You held her and stayed with her when I couldn't."

He moved to stand directly in front of his partner, blocking his view to the water. When he stubbornly shifted his eyes to the ground, Danny carefully placed a hand under his chin and forced him to look up and meet his gaze. "Damn it, Steve, that's not how Gracie sees it either. To her, you are her Guardian Super Seal. You made good on your promise to make time for her, to be there for her. That little girl loves you so much." Danny's voice shook with the pure weight of the emotion he felt as tears stung his eyes. The reality of just how alone she could have been hit him along with just how incredibly important Steve truly was to them both.

"I know she does and I try to be worthy of it, but I'm so afraid I'm going to fail her. I love her so much. I just don't want to let her down. I'm so incredibly far out of my element." Steve knew what he needed to say. He couldn't avoid it any longer, no matter the consequences, so when Danny started to speak again, Steve held up a hand to quiet him.

"I'm so sorry I snapped in the interrogation room. What I said to Stan, I was so far out line." Danny was confused; he thought Steve was right on point the entire time. "Grace is your daughter. She has a wonderful father in you. She doesn't need another one and she certainly doesn't need a screw up like me making claims like that."

Returning to the seat next to the Seal, Danny took a deep breath. Now he was starting to understand why his partner had closed himself off so quickly. Ever the tactician he went for the preemptive strike, so convinced he'd messed up; that he'd be sent to solitary for breaking the rules.

"Steven, do you remember Sunday when we dropped Gracie off?" He looked sideways to see the confused look and affirmative nod. "Did you catch the slip when she was thanking you?"

"I..." The Seals voice was eerily quiet and he didn't finish, but Danny knew he'd caught it.

"Steven, listen to me. I am Grace's Danno, a title I wear most proudly and is infinitely more special to me than daddy ever could be; however, I think it's time I fill you in on some background."

Pausing, he looked to make sure the Seal was following along.

"Several months ago, I picked Grace up from school and was regaled with stories about the new student at school, Nikki, and how they'd become immediate friends. Apparently, Nikki spent the day telling Gracie how she had two daddies and all kinds of stories about how great they were. One of her dads had dated her mother, but things didn't work out. The mother wanted nothing to do with her daughter, so he gained full custody. About two years ago, he met her second dad and all is now seemingly perfect in Nikki's world."

Danny wasn't surprised to see his partner looking somewhat confused, so he charged ahead with the story.

"Anyway, this was around the same time that things started falling apart with Rachel and Stan. They were spending a fair amount of time arguing and in Grace's mind, she decided having two daddies instead of me, her mother, and a step-Stan would be wonderful. At that point not much else was said since we had arrived at Rachel's and I was only supposed be playing transport that day."

Steve detected a hint of bitterness in Danny's voice. He knew how much it irked him to only have those little bits of time with his daughter. Staying quiet, he waited for Danny to continue.

"That Friday, I picked her up for her weekend with me. It was one of those rare weekends that I'd let you convince me to bring her over and stay so we could play on the beach. She was so excited to get in the car and get going. I mentioned something about home, referring to Rachel's house, and she reacted a bit oddly. I started asking questions and she finally admitted that with the two of them arguing every time they thought she couldn't hear that it didn't feel like home, just some big house she happened to occupy. We pulled into your driveway and I asked her if somewhere did feel like home. I wanted so badly for her to be happy, to feel like she had a home, but with my apartment I was terrified my little girl was going to say no."

Danny fell silent, leaning forward and staring toward the water. Steve mimicked his pose, but turned his head to watch him.

"She didn't miss a beat, Steven. She didn't even think twice. She looked me square in the eye and said, 'Here, Danno. Here, when the three of us are together. This is home.' Then she jumped out of the car and took off running to where you were waiting as if it were no big deal."

The pair fell silent, as Steve processed what he'd just heard. Home? Home was with him? Piecing the information together, he sat back.

"Wait. Is that why you suddenly stopped arguing that you were invading and in the way every time I invited you two to stay for the weekend? I never bothered to question it, but looking back it was as if a switch flipped. I went from practically begging you to bring her over, to being able to plan weekends with the three of us like clockwork."

Danny couldn't help but smile. "Guilty. I couldn't do it; I just couldn't fight it any more. I didn't want us to become a burden, but to know that we were family that we were home to her. I would have given anything for her to keep that feeling."

Elbowing Danny in the ribs, Steve couldn't help a small smile. He wasn't out of the woods yet, but it was starting to feel like this story was going to end in a far better place than he expected.

"So, I'm not in trouble for crossing a line because you don't want Grace to lose home right when she needs it most."

Danny thought for a second. "Actually, babe, you're not in trouble, because you just managed to cross a line that Gracie and I crossed shortly after your place became home."

"Explain, please?" Steve was puzzled.

"You remember I asked you about Sunday, right? That's where this entirely too long winded explanation began, but I needed you to understand home before I thought you'd have any chance of getting this one."

Not sure if he should be offended or not, the Seal just laughed. "I know, I'm emotionally challenged."

"Actually babe, after today I'm starting to think that is just a front you put when people are watching, but don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Anyway, over the next few weeks I heard an increasing number of stories about Nikki and her dads and eventually the topic of Grace wanting a second dad came up. I told her I wasn't sure how I'd going about finding her one of those and she actually laughed at me. 'Silly, Danno. We already have him.' Somehow I felt like that stupid rabbit from the Trix commercials. She carefully explained that she didn't just want any daddy, she wanted you. Apparently she'd given this a lot of thought."

The detective paused here, waiting to see how Steve was reacting. "Me?" The question was a I mere whisper, nearly lost on the ocean breeze.

"I asked her if she wanted to talk to you about it, but she was determined to keep it quiet. She didn't want you to feel pressured and made it abundantly clear that she'd rather have you as Uncle Steve and keep you close than risk pushing you away. Sunday I really thought she was going to slip."

"I thought I'd imagined it." Steve finally spoke louder. "Up until yesterday, I really thought I'd imagined it. She almost said it a few times when she was awake and then in her sleep she was calling for both Danno and Daddy. Last night, when I work her up from the nightmare, I think she was too upset to filter herself and actually called me Daddy."

Danny realized he detected a hint of pride along with a certain amount of sadness in Steve's voice. The sadness worried him.

"Babe, how do you feel about being called Daddy?" They were this far down the path; they might as well finish it.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Upsetting his partner's position with Grace was what worried Steve the most.

Of course, the crazy Seal was sad because he expected Danny to object. "Is that your only concern, Steven? It doesn't bother you what people might say if they hear her calling you Daddy? It's not like we're exactly unrecognizable around here." Any misconceptions on that front wouldn't bother Danny in the least. The women that practically threw themselves at Steve everywhere they went made him insanely jealous; unfortunately, he had no basis to claim the Seal has his.

"Danno, half the island thinks we're more than just partners anyway." He couldn't help the hint of longing in his voice, though Danny wrote it off as wishful thinking on his part. "I've long since stopped caring what any of them think."

"True. I think there are a fair number of people that suspect we're married." Danny didn't look at his partner, trying to keep his tone joking, so he missed the look of absolute longing on Steve's face. "And no, for your question, it doesn't bother me. I've always been her Danno, never Daddy."

Steve smiled, thinking that Danno truly was a special nickname. He'd noticed his partner no longer argued when he used it. Of course, he was probably just tired of arguing about it. Though that seemed to be the only thing Danny ever got tired of arguing about.

"Honestly, Danno, I never imagined my life with kids, but now I can't imagine my life without Grace." Without you went unspoken. "You have no idea how incredibly honored… how incredibly humbled I am to think she believes me worthy of that name. I spent years working to earn the rank of Lieutenant Commander, but I can honestly say I'd trade that in in a heartbeat for Grace to call me Daddy."

Rising from the bench, Danny turned and extended a hand to pull the Seal up, reluctantly letting go when he was on his feet. Giving him a brief hug, that they both wished were longer, they headed toward the car together.

"Steve, if my Monkey is going to call anyone else Daddy, I'm very glad it's you."

McGarrett grinned wildly; this entire conversation had reoriented his world. "Let's go home, Danno."

/

A/N: Please take a second to review. Pretty, pretty please.

The next chapter will be back at home with all of them, but I really felt like this part needed to be handled with just the two of them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Guardian**

A/N: 10/30 – I went through the first 11 chapters today and made minor corrections for typos and the like. No plot points were changed.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 12**

Kono watched Grace as her eyes followed Chin toward the house to get drinks. The Hawaiian suspected something was on her mind since it was her prompting that sent Chin on his errand.

As soon as he disappeared through the door, the little girl sat back from their sand city project, looking like she wanted to ask something, but couldn't decide how to start.

"Gracie, is there something you want to talk about?" Her cousin wasn't likely to take long and she didn't want the opportunity get missed.

"Promise you won't tell Steve and Danno?" Her serious tone and expression alarmed Kono.

"I'll promise, as long as nothing is wrong that they'll need to know to take care of you." She hedged her answer. She didn't want to go back on her word once she gave it, but there was no way she'd take a chance with Grace's well-being.

"That works." She shrugged her shoulders before getting to the point. "Do you think Danno and Steve will ever figure out that they're supposed to be together?"

Kono was suddenly glad Chin hadn't arrived with the drinks yet. She would have choked with surprise. "What do you mean by together?"

"You know, like Nikki's dads?" After the last hour or so, Kono was quite familiar with Nikki's family. The focus of the conversation was starting to make sense.

"Honestly, Gracie. I don't know. Why?"

The little girl thought for a moment. "Because I love them and I want them to be happy. They love each other too, but I think sometimes guys are a little slow with this kind of thing, so I'm starting to wonder if they'll figure it out."

Kono couldn't help but smile and laugh at the incredibly astute observation and blunt honesty of the child.

"I think you might be right, Gracie. They might need help figuring it out."

Hearing the door of the house open and close, the pair looked up to see Chin returning, water bottles in hand. "Grandma will help, but I wanted to see what you thought before she got here in case we need your help too."

Kono grinned at the girl. "I bet Uncle Chin would help too."

"And just what are you volunteering Uncle Chin for?" The man in question distributed the drinks and sat down in the sand.

"Just a little match making after Mom gets here."

The girls didn't have to elaborate. "Oh, I'm in. I'm definitely in." However, he suspected the pair wouldn't stand a chance faced with Grace and Mama Williams. "It'd be nice to see them quit skirting around things."

The three settled into putting the final additions on the main castle in their little sand city. The adults both surprised and delighted with Grace's revelation. When the time was right, they would make sure there support was clear as well. McGarrett and Danno needed to know their ohana was happy for them, or they would be if they would ever get it together.

Hearing a car in the driveway, the cousins turned to shield Grace in case it was someone unexpected and unwelcome. The effort was unnecessary, as Grace immediately spotted Steve and ran to meet them. "Danno! Da…. Uncle Steve!"

The Seal swung her up into his arms, giving his partner a meaningful look. "Monkey, what do you say we got for a little walk?"

Looking down at her Danno, she waited to see if he was coming too. "Why don't you two go ahead? I need to make a call, but I'll catch up." The pair had decided it was best to let Steve have the Daddy talk with her alone; meanwhile, Danny would call the school to let them know how she was doing and see what arrangements could be made.

"Walk or ride?" The Seal inquired.

Wrapping her arms tighter around his neck, she giggled. "Ride."

"Don't get lost you two. I'll meet you on your way back." He'd never catch them anyway and wanted to give the pair as much time as they needed. The three of them would have plenty of time to talk after.

Stopping briefly on the lanai, Steve set Gracie down while he ditched his shoes and rolled his cargo pants up a bit. Knowing him, they'd still end up wet, but it would help keep them from collecting sand.

Chin and Kono passed by them on the way into the house, "We're going to head out and run a couple errands before we get Mom." Pulling the paint cards from earlier out of his back pocket, Chin waved them at Grace. "Grabbed these off the table. We'll pick them on the way."

"Thanks, Uncle Chin!" Back in Steve's arms, she waved to the Hawaiians as she and the Seal headed out toward the water.

They simply enjoyed the sound of the waves for a few minutes before Grace spoke. "Are you okay, Uncle Steve?" She'd seen that look on his face before, the look that said he was thinking really hard about how to tell her something.

Kissing her forehead, he squeezed her more tightly to him. "I am. Sweetie, do you remember last night when I woke you up from your nightmare?"

Grace leaned back a bit, one hand resting on his chest as the other remained wrapped around his shoulder. Her brow furrowed and she refused to meet his eyes as she remembered what she'd said.

Sensing her unease, the Seal feared he'd already botched the conversation. "Gracie, please look at me."

Blinking back tears that threatened to spill, she forced herself to meet his eyes. The wetness in his eyes surprised her, Steve didn't usually cry. Had she disappointed him that much? Had he told Danno they needed to leave?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." Her panicked apology broke the Seal's thin control on his emotions.

"Oh Grace, please don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." The tears spilled unencumbered. "Don't be mad at Danno, but he explained about Nikki's dads before we came home. I said something while we were at the station and I thought Danno was mad at me. He had to tell me so I would understand." He fumbled through the explanation, rushing to explain so she wouldn't be upset with her father.

"You know?" Her small voice held the slightly hint of hope. "Are you mad? It's okay if you don't want to be my Daddy. I'll still love you if you just want to be Uncle Steve."

Pulling her back close to his chest, he kissed her hair. "Gracie, I would love nothing better than being your Daddy. You have no idea how incredibly happy I am that you want me to be."

Her Chin resting on his shoulder, she whispered in his ear. "If you're happy, why are you crying?" Happy was not one of the few reasons she'd ever seen him cry. Last time it was when Danno was in the hospital with the toxin stuff.

She could feel the laugh vibrating in his chest. She loved his laugh. She really loved it when he and Danno made each other laugh. "Sweetie, I'm crying because I never thought I'd be Daddy. Family isn't something I've got a lot of and finding out that you wanted to keep me around was just a really great surprise today."

"So Danno and I don't have to move out?" She wasn't really sure Steve was making sense at this point, but he'd said 'keep' and she wanted to make sure he meant it.

"No, Gracie. This is home for you. This is home for all three of us." He smiled at her when she leaned back to see his face. "I love you, Gracie. You will always have a place here," he placed her small hand over his heart, "and here," he pointed back toward the house, "with me. So will Danno."

"I love you too, Daddy." She spoke slowly, seeming to test out the words as she spoke them for the first time. Her bravery was rewarded with one of his incredible smiles.

The pair continued to walk down the beach for a while, simply enjoying the view and the sound of the waves. Grace felt happy, but she also felt guilty for feeling happy after what had happened.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Gracie?" Steve stopped walking, turning to see if Danno was headed their way yet. Seeing the shorter man walking toward them, the Seal smiled.

"Does it make me a bad person that I feel happy even though I'm still sad about Mommy? Will she be mad that I'm not crying all the time?"

Steve looked to her and then stared out at the ocean and he started walking toward his partner. He wasn't entirely sure how to answer that, but as he thought, he realized his sessions with Dr. Thompson might have helped him. It wasn't the same thing, but he could relate based on the loss of close friends and comrades on missions.

"No, Gracie. It doesn't make you a bad person." He was glad to see the distance to Danny quickly closing. "You're going to be sad a lot and you're going to miss your mom, but you have to remember that she loved you and she would want you to be happy and have a full life. It's okay to cry when you're sad, but I don't think she'd ever want you to spend all your time crying."

The little girl was quiet in his arms as they closed the gap toward her father. Walking the last few feet, Danny and Steve's eyes locked on each other as they came to a stop less than a foot from each other.

Gracie turned to face Danno, and leaned down to accept his open armed invitation into his arms.

Steve looked on, a mixture of love and longing on his face, as his partner held his daughter closely.

Seeing Steve's expression, Danny extended one arm toward him, inviting the Super Seal to join the family hug.

"Everything okay with you two?" He had to ask. They seemed a bit more serious than he'd expected.

"Yeah, Danno. We're good." Steve answered the unasked specifics of the question.

Gracie leaned back a bit, wrapping and arm around each of them as they stood planted on the beach. "Daddy says that Mommy would want me to be happy. That she wouldn't be mad."

"Gracie, you should listen to Daddy. Sometimes he's smarter than we give him credit for."

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	13. Chapter 13

**Guardian**

A/N: I think I might spontaneously combust writing this story. Hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 13**

Walking hand in hand between her Danno and her Daddy along the beach, Grace kept sneaking glances up at each of them. They both seemed content and sad all at the same time. First she'd catch one staring at the other, then staring at the beach in front of them, and then smiling down at her.

Part of her wanted to just pull their hands together and tell them to quit being stupid boys, but she was just nervous enough about that plan that she decided to wait for Grandma to arrive and help. Daddy was going to grill something for dinner and she bet that would give her a chance to talk to the older woman and maybe even Kono in the kitchen.

Steve looked over at his partner again, silently watching him as he stared across the sand. He felt like he was an emotional live wire about to ignite. He was both happy and relieved that he and Grace had sorted out his status in her life. Meanwhile, the fury at Stan and desire to strangle him still boiled inside him.

As if that weren't enough, he was thoroughly confused about Danny. Little things were starting to add up, making him think that perhaps an advance on his part might not be entirely unwelcome, but he couldn't decide if he was just imagining what he wanted things to mean or if it was real and he was terrified of scaring the other man away. Afraid of being caught staring, he averted his gaze to the water.

Eyes focused on the sand in front of them, the Jersey native was in a state of utter and complete turmoil. Fear for his daughter and partner and rage at Stan had fueled him as he'd traveled home. Now the fear had only lessened, not disappeared. They had a long way to go before he would believe Grace was truly out of the woods. Her question about being happy made it clear that things were starting to surface.

Turning his head slightly, he glanced first at his smiling daughter, and then at the man who'd become such a steadying force in his life, when he wasn't trying to get them killed. Steven was so much more complicated than he'd ever believed possible. He hated to remember how he'd pegged him as the emotionless Rambo type as soon as they'd met. He was starting to think the Seal held in more emotion than most people ever felt.

Releasing a sigh that was quickly lost on the ocean breeze, Danny closed his eyes briefly. Part of him regretted that he hadn't pushed further in the conversation with Steve at the beach earlier. They'd clarified where he stood with Grace, but left so much unanswered in where they stood with each other. Was he reading Steven wrong, did the Seal just view them as friends? He was beginning to think he'd lose his mind being so close and yet so far away from what he wanted.

Crossing the lanai, the trio headed back into the house. Danny led them into the kitchen where he'd placed the monstrous box from HPD on the island.

Gracie spotted it immediately, "Danno, why is there a huge present?"

Both men laughed as she approached the box cautiously. "It's for you, Monkey. Duke said everybody down at the station pitched in for it. They wanted to remind you that they're all there if you need them."

Steve lifted her carefully to kneel on one of the bar stools, hands on either side of her small waist to make sure she stayed balanced. Danny moved to stand across from them, unable to contain the smile at the picture they made together.

"Go ahead, open it." As she and the Seal became engrossed in unwrapping the box, he snuck is phone out of his pocket and snapped a picture. Steve's eyes flashed up to meet his at the sound, but the taller man only grinned when he realized what Danny had done. He'd have to ask his partner to send him the picture later.

Removing the box lid, Grace stretched up to see what was inside. "It's huge!" The little girl exclaimed, at what looked to be very large stuffed animal hunched down in the box. Her face turned up to Steve, an unspoken request for him to pull it out. Freeing one hand from her side, he reached up and grabbed what appeared to be the bear's neck. Pulling it out, he lifted Grace back to the floor with his other arm and handed her a teddy bear that was almost bigger than she was and sported an HPD polo shirt.

Steve looked back to the box, head cocked sideways. "How the heck did they get that," he gestured to the bear, "to fit in there?" He pointed back to the box.

"I don't know, babe, but that is one humongous bear. Hope it knows how to swim or it might have a hard time in the ocean room."

Steve erupted in a full laugh at his partner's observation. Danny and Grace both smiled up at him before joining his laughter.

"Danno, can we call Duke?" She loved her bear and wanted to let the officers know.

"Of course, Monkey. I'm sure he'd love to hear from you."

/

An hour later, Duke and the others at HPD had been profusely thanked for the gigantic bear and the three had ventured up to Grace's room to look at their workspace for the pending decorative overhaul.

The room was fairly large and had the nicest bedroom set of all the spare rooms, though Steven realized that since it had been his room the furniture had a more masculine feel to it.

"Maybe we should move this furniture into one of the other rooms and start fresh in here? The stuff in the other rooms could really stand to be replaced." He gave Danny a look that told him he was not allowed to argue. "This is the stuff I had in high school. It's not going to look right with the new theme."

The detective shook his head and shrugged. "It's your house, Super Seal." He regretted the words immediately. Steve's face fell before he turned away, before Danny could take it back.

"But it's our home." He shorter man barely heard the whispered words. Looking over at Grace to see if she had noticed, she stood with one hand on her hip giving her father a look that clearly said 'Fix it!' Sometimes he truly thought she was much more adept at handling Steve than he was.

"Be right back." Grace disappeared from the room and Danny heard the bathroom door shut behind her a few seconds later. So much for getting her to help.

Walking up behind McGarrett, Danny wished he could just wrap his arms around the man and tell him just how much he believed this was their home, but what if it backfired? What if that wasn't what he wanted?

"Babe, please turn around. I didn't mean it like that." Instead of turning, he stepped further away, standing in front of the window. Reaching his hands up, he gripped the frame on either side, letting the structure support him.

Intellectually, Steve knew Danny hadn't meant it the way he took it, but his heart was having a hard time reconciling itself with his head.

Danny's cell phone ringing cut through the silence in the room. Recognizing the ringtone for his mother, the detective reluctantly answered.

"Hi Mom."

"Daniel, what's wrong?" He groaned; his mother was far too perceptive. "Don't tell me nothing, I can hear it in your voice. Are Gracie and Steve okay?"

"Gracie is fine, Mom, and Steve will be if I can ever finish apologizing for saying something stupid." Danny knew his partner was listening and was granted a small spark of hope when the taller man released one hand from the window frame and turned partially toward him.

The haunted look in the Seal's eyes nearly took Danny to the floor. He'd done that. He and his big mouth had put that look in those eyes. Steve could put a puppy to shame with those eyes.

"Daniel, give Steven the phone and leave him alone for a minute. I'm in the car with Chin and Kono and will be there soon." She sounded a bit exasperated.

Knowing better than to argue with his mother, especially when he was in the doghouse, Danny extended the phone to his partner. As their fingers touched, he mouthed a silent, "I'm sorry," before he turned for the door.

"Steven, are you okay? You don't have to tell me what he said, but you know how his mouth runs away with him sometimes. You know he would never mean to upset you."

He cracked a small smile at the phone. "I know, Mom. I just… I don't know. I'm a mess."

"Oh, my dear boy, I think sometimes you forget you aren't really Superman. You are only human, Steven. We will all still love you just as much even if you can't be strong all the time. I don't know everything that's happened, but my guess is you're trying to be strong and keep it all together for Danny and Gracie." She heard his mumbled confirmation. "Now, I want you to listen to me. When we get off here, you tell Danny to start prepping the steaks, so they'll be ready in plenty of time for dinner. Then you go change and go for either a run or a swim. You have to take care of yourself too."

"I'm glad you're coming, Mom." Right now he was so off-balance that he just wanted his mom and she was the closest thing he had.

"Me too, son, me too. Now hop to it. You'll feel better by the time I get there. I love you, Steven."

"Love you too, Mom." He stared at the phone for a second before moving. Sometimes it amazed him just how well she knew him. She'd only seen him twice, once when she came to visit and the other when Danny drug him to New Jersey with Grace, but once Danny and Grace had started staying over every weekend he was always included in the weekend call with the New Jersey family.

Having stayed right out in the hall, the detective stepped back into the room. Grace had left the bathroom, given him a repeat of the earlier look, and gone downstairs as soon as he explained Steve was talking to Grandma. The look of satisfaction on her face should have worried him, but he had equal faith in his mother.

"Steven," Danny started to apologize again, but stopped when the other man shook his head no.

"I'm under orders from Mom. You are supposed to get the steaks ready so I can grill them for dinner. I am supposed to go get some exercise."

Danny processed this new information for a moment before deciding his mother was a genius. "Got it." He held his ground as Steve approached the door, forcing the taller man to stop. "We'll talk later, but babe, I'm sorry I opened my mouth without thinking. This has always been your house where we came to visit. It's just an adjustment, but that doesn't mean this isn't home for all of us now."

Not trusting his voice, the Seal just nodded his head. They'd talk later when he'd regained some semblance of balance.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.

Mama Williams will be on the ground with them in the next chapter A few little nudges and I think the boys might finally get the hint.


	14. Chapter 14

**Guardian**

A/N: Another slightly longer chapter, but hopefully you'll understand.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 14**

Pulling up to the house, Chin grinned at Danny's mom. "You head on in. We'll get the stuff."

She started to argue, but the silent shake of his head made her smile instead. She'd learned on the way here that one of her priorities on this trip was to knock some sense into her boys. Everyone except the two of them appeared to agree on this point.

The cousins made it clear that they were prepared to be delighted for Danny and Steve and that Grace clearly wanted it. They were both concerned that the unresolved emotional tension was going to boil over soon. Once the pair was headed in the right direction, they were convinced the road to Grace's full recovery would be far smoother.

Armed with this information, Mama Williams headed toward the house.

Having heard the car pull up, Grace flew out the door to greet the older woman. "Grandma! You made it."

Leaning down to embrace the young girl, she grinned. "Of course I came. Your Danno was so worried when he left that I just had to follow." Lowering her voice to a rather conspiratorial whisper, she continued. "And from the sound of things, it's a good thing I didn't wait."

Grace leaned back a bit to look at her Grandma's face. "You have no idea. I think Danno almost made Daddy cry." It was clear that Gracie was not happy about that and her grandmother was inclined to agree with the cousins; letting this drag out wasn't going to help her.

"Ah, I see that piece finally sorted itself out." Grace had explained the Daddy conundrum to her one evening when she called while Stan and Rachel argued.

Nodding her head, the little girl smiled as she looked out to where the Seal was swimming. "Yep. It was kind of an accident, but turns out Uncle Steve really wanted to be Daddy. He said he was really happy I wanted to keep him."

"Oh, Sweetheart, I have no doubt that he is delighted with that." The two watched as Steve emerged from the water. Seeing the pair, he waved. "Why don't you go see if Chin and Kono need any help? I think I need to go talk to him?" She pointed a thumb in Steve's direction.

Receiving a quick smile and thumbs up from Grace, Beth Williams paused on the lanai to kick off her shoes and headed toward the Seal.

Steve's heart melted seeing the little family reunion. He was glad, for all their sakes that she was here. He wondered if they'd be able to convince her and Danny's dad to move out to the islands. With Matt off the grid and Susan having moved to Texas with her husband, very little was holding them to Jersey.

"Welcome back to Hawaii, Mom." Steve gave her a broad smile as she approached. "I'd give you a hug, but I'm all wet."

Ignoring his statement, she walked right up and wrapped her arms around him. A petite five foot and two inches, the Seal towered over her. "A little salt water isn't going to hurt me and you, young man, needed a good hug." She squeezed him a bit tighter as she spoke.

"You've got me there." When they finally let go, the smile was still on his face, but she could see something different in his eyes. "You didn't have to come out here to say hello, I would have been back to the house in a few minutes and you're bound to be tired after your trip."

"Actually, after spending all day cooped up on a plane, a short walk on the beach would do wonders for me. Care to accompany me?" The look she gave him didn't really leave him an option.

They walked in silence for a few moments, following the same path he'd taken with Grace earlier in the day. He wondered just what revelations might come with this walk.

"It's always so beautiful here." Mama Williams leaned her head back as the breeze lifted her hair. "But I didn't drag you out here to talk about the scenery or the weather."

Direct and honest, he appreciated those particular Williams' traits even though they sometimes scared him.

"Steven, Chin and Kono filled me in on the drive from the airport. I can't imagine how difficult the last two days have been for you, but seeing Grace when I got here, hearing her calling you Daddy at last, you can't imagine how incredibly grateful I am that you found your way into our lives."

The Seal looked down, meeting her eyes. He wasn't sure what to say, knew he'd never really get across how he felt. "I could say the same about all of you. What you've given me, this family, is more than I ever imagined. I just…" He stopped himself, unsure of how to continue. Unsure of how accepting Danny's mom would be when she learned just how much he loved her son.

"Steven, listen to me for a minute and I mean really listen. I want you to know that Dad and I both will always consider you our son no matter what your relationship is with Daniel. I may live 5,000 miles away, but I talk to both of you boys and Grace all the time. I'm not oblivious. All we want is for both of you to be happy."

The Seal couldn't hide the look of complete surprise that covered his face. "You mean… you know? How?"

"Oh, Steven. I honestly think you and Daniel are the only two that have taken this long to figure it out." She couldn't help but shake her head at him. Gracie was right boys were incredibly stupid sometimes.

"But he…."

"Is being just as foolish and stubborn as you are. One of you is going to have to make the first move." She turned to head back toward the house. After a moment, where he was still too stunned to move, he jogged to catch back up.

When he drew even with her, she wrapped an arm around his waist, leaning in a bit closer as he wrapped his around her shoulders. She treasured this latest addition to her family. The lost little boy hidden in the body of one of the strongest men she'd ever known.

When they finally entered the house, Steve gave mom a quick kiss on the top of her head before slipping upstairs to throw on some dry clothes.

Danny turned as she entered the kitchen, "Now you come say hello to your first born." He teased. "I was starting to think I'd been replaced." He knew he was in for it if Steve was still upset.

"Impossible, Daniel. You could never be replaced and a mother is capable of loving all her children." She teased back. "Now, what can I do to help with dinner? Steven just ran up to change, so why don't you go light the grill?"

"Yes, ma'am." He mock saluted is mother and headed out to the lanai. She hadn't lectured him about his careless remark to Steve. He hoped that indicated the Seal was feeling better.

Chin, Kono, and Grace all turned their eyes to her, curiosity burning bright in all of them.

"We're making progress. If I can get some time alone with my eldest this evening, I think they'll be well on their way." Small cheers erupted from each of them, especially Grace.

Picking up the knife Danny had left on the cutting board, Beth jumped right in to helping with dinner as the others resumed their tasks.

"Chin and I won't stay too late. Just long enough to help clean up." Kono offered.

"What do you think, Gracie? Think you can find a way to keep Super Seal out of the way?" Chin queried. She nodded.

"Actually," Beth answered first. "I don't want you guys to run off, but I'm going to insist that we put off cleaning up until later. Then I think my darling son can help me with that while Gracie gets Steven to read her a story before bed."

"And that, Mrs. Williams, is why you are the genius of this operation." Chin laughed. He had a feeling at some point down the road the story of getting Danny and Steve together was going to an often told and much loved tale among their ohana.

A few minutes later, Steve reappeared in the kitchen. Giving mom and Gracie both a hug, was surprised not to see Danny.

"He's outside." Mom pointed him in the right direction. "The grill should be almost ready."

Grabbing the platter of steaks in one hand and two beers in the other he retreated toward the door.

"Danno, grab the door." Everyone in the kitchen smiled as he called to his partner.

Jumping at the sound the Seal's voice, Danny hurried to comply. Opening the door, he accepted the offered beer and followed him back toward the grill. He wanted to ask if they were okay, if he was forgiven, but 'grab the door' was a far cry from 'let's sit down and talk'.

"Relax, Danno. We can talk later." His partner seemed to read his mind. "The swim helped. Let's just enjoy dinner with our ohana. I, for one, could use a good night's sleep before I get into any more deep conversations."

"Cheers to that, babe. Cheers to that." Clinking the beer bottles together, they each took a long drink. For tonight, it was enough to know that they were all together.

Checking the grill, Steve carefully arranged the steaks before sitting down in the chair next to the grill and right across from Danny. Leaning back into the chair, he realized just how exhausted he really was. Closing his eyes, he relaxed to the sound of the waves hitting the shore.

It wasn't until he heard his partner get up to check the steaks that he realized he'd dozed off. Starting to get up, he felt Danny's hand on his shoulder.

"Stay put, Superman. After everything you've done, the least you can let me do is finish the steaks so you can rest." As their eyes met, Danny fought the urge to reach up and wipe the stray eyelash from the Seals face. "I've had those nights on the couch with Gracie when she's sick. While I wouldn't trade a single one of them for the world, I also know they are anything but truly restful."

"Thanks, Danno."

An hour later, they all sat around the dining room. As promised, Mrs. Williams had ensured that no one decided to jump up and start cleaning up the dishes.

Everyone seemed perfectly content to relay all the funny stories since last they'd seen her, which in Chin and Kono's case had been quite some time. The shared looks between her to boys as the cousins told of some of the pair's more risky endeavors warmed her heart even as she reminded herself that she shouldn't scold them for their more reckless behavior.

Even though it was only about eight in the evening, everyone was quickly showing signs of being tired. For two older members of the Williams clan they were fresh off the Eastern Time zone and even having slept on the planes, their bodies weren't adjusted yet.

The cousins said their farewells and promised to check in the next day, likely around lunch again, but they would call first.

Once the door was shut, Grace smiled across the table to her grandmother. "I'm gonna go take my shower." She knew she needed to get that out of the way before she could convince Steve to read her a bedtime story.

"You have what you need, Gracie?" The Seal asked.

"Yeah, Daddy, I put everything where it belonged yesterday."

Watching her disappear around the corner, the adults remained quiet. Mother and son weren't quite sure what Steve was listening so intently for, but he clearly was and they weren't going to startle him.

A few moments later, he heard the bathroom door pull to, but not quite latch before hearing the water start.

Looking back at Beth and Danny, he realized they were both watching him with slightly puzzled expressions.

"She didn't quite close the door, but it's not wide open like it was last night."

Danny cocked his head. "You got all that from what little sound she made?"

"Yes, Danno. I'm trained to pick up things that others might not notice and I've lived in the house long enough to know that you can hear that door when it latches closed."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Danny continued to watch his partner, expecting an answer on why this information was so important.

"Yesterday when we got home, she got spooked when I suggested she take a shower. It made sense; she'd just spend two nights locked in a bathroom. I didn't want her to freak out, so I promised I would stay downstairs while she showered. That way she could leave the door open if she felt more comfortable."

Understanding dawned on both faces as they continued to watch him. Earlier today, when she bolted from her room," he gave Danny a pointed look, "she actually closed the door all the way. Tonight she pulled it too, but didn't quite close it. Maybe it has something to do with how long she'll be in there. Heck, I don't know, but its progress, right?"

"Very true, son. That was quick thinking on your part."

He smiled at the simple confirmation that he'd handled the situation well.

The three sat chatting casually around the table, until Beth heard the water turn off. It was time to start her part of the plan.

"Why don't you boys help me clear the dishes so we can get the kitchen cleaned up?" Rising from the table, they were both quick to comply.

They'd barely gotten all the dishes into the kitchen when Gracie appeared in the room. She gave Grandma Williams a hug first, and then moved on to Danno. When she reached the Seal, she gave him a big hug.

"Daddy, can you read to me before bed?" Steve's eyes flew to his partner's worried that on his first night back Danny might resent being ousted from story time.

The detective shooed Steve up the stairs with Grace before turning to his mother. "Why do I feel like this was a carefully orchestrated effort to get me alone?"

"Good catch, Detective Williams." His mother laughed.

"Am I still in trouble for earlier?" He started washing dishes. It didn't matter than he was a responsible adult, getting scolded by his mother still hurt.

"Daniel, you are not in trouble. I don't believe you intentionally tried to hurt Steven and neither does he."

Grabbing the dishtowel, she passed behind him to start drying the dishes.

"Why do I sense a but coming?" He looked toward her.

Still holding the plate she'd already dried, she stood to face her son, watching him dutifully scrubbing dishes.

"Daniel, is there a reason you haven't told Steven how you feel?" This dish in his hand slipped back into the soapy water.

"I…. We…. Uh…. How?" The normally verbose man suddenly couldn't form a sentence.

Trying to stifle a laugh, Beth shook her head. "Daniel, you have no reason to be embarrassed. Your father and I and I both love you no matter what and we both adore Steven."

Turning to face his mother, his hands started gesturing even while the words stuck in his throat. Finally, he managed to get a coherent thought out. "How did you know?"

"Just because I'm a country a way doesn't mean I don't pick up on things. Based on this evening, I believe the only two people around here that haven't figured it out are you and Steven."

He turned back toward the sink, leaning forward, his elbows resting on the edge of the counter. "I don't know what to do, Mom. He means everything to me, but I'm so afraid that's not what he wants. He has most of the women on the island throwing themselves at him, why would he need me."

She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. "Just trust me. Give yourself a chance. Give him a chance. You might be surprised."

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, mother and son quickly returned to washing the dishes.

Less than a half hour later, the dishes were done and the exhausted trio was headed to bed. Giving each of the boys a hug, mom turned to head into her room.

"Steven, make sure you get your workout in tomorrow morning. We'll all still be here when you're done and you'll feel better."

"Listen to Mom, Steven. She's usually right."

Disappearing into their rooms, both Danny and Steve leaned back against the shut doors. Taking a deep breath, they considered mom's advice.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	15. Chapter 15

**Guardian**

A/N: This feels like it has been a long time coming. All I can say is this chapter is full of nothing but the boys.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 15**

Rolling over, Steve cracked his eyes open and noticed it was barely light yet. Unless he'd completely missed something, Grace had slept through the night, a fact that pleased him immensely.

Sitting up, he stretched before finally rising from the bed. Looking out the window, the waves seemed to beckon to him and he decided to heed Mom's advice.

Quickly changing into his trunks, he slipped out of the room. Quietly crossing the hall, he peaked into Grace's room and saw she was still sleeping before trotting down the stairs.

Grabbing one of his refillable water bottles from the kitchen and a towel, he slipped out the door and toward the water. It was a beautiful morning for a swim. Tossing the items in one of the chairs, he jogged the short distance to the water and dove in.

Much like the day before, his mind raced as his body sliced through the water. Mom's words from the evening before echoed in his head. "One of you is going to have to make the first move." He could hear her voice on repeat.

Pushing himself harder, trying to decide what he should do, his mind replayed all the moments with Danny. All the moments that he wished for more, all the ones where he thought he saw some glimpse of possibility.

Reconciling the idea that he was going to have to take a leap of faith, he began to relax slightly. Allowing his mind to wander to the visions of what life could be like; the Seal slowed his pace to allow his body to cool down some before he headed back to dry land.

/

Hearing his partner's quiet footsteps in the hall, Danny rolled over and looked at the clock. Only the Seal would be up and moving willingly at this hour, but he was relieved that he was following Mom's advice.

Staying in bed for a few moments longer, he considered her advice last night. She'd pushed him to give them a chance, made it sound like everyone around them was just waiting for them both to get a clue.

Part of him wondered if she was right. He still couldn't pinpoint the moment in time where he actually fell in love with his crazy partner, the moment where he started wishing for more. All he knew was that somewhere along the line he'd realized that Steve was so much more than his best friend.

Having made up his mind, but still unsure of exactly how he was going to broach the subject, Danny decided there was no time like the present. Getting out of bed with far more energy than he usually had in the morning, he took a moment to stop and look at the window.

The vision of Steve's lithe form cutting through the water filled him with longing. Taking a deep breath, willing his body to behave, he quickly turned to get dressed.

/

Emerging from the water nearly forty-five minutes after he'd entered, the Seal saw his partner waiting for him. Droplets of water rolled down his body and into his eyes as he took the final steps out of the ocean. Danny rose from the chair, towel in hand, and sauntered toward him.

He loved seeing the shorter man in the more relaxed attire he tended to where when home here. There were no slacks and dress shirts, definitely no ties. Danny was dressed simply in cargo shorts that hung low on his waist and a pale blue t-shirt that clung to his chest. Taking a deep breath, Steve struggled to control his rather visceral reaction before the need arose to retreat to the water he'd just left.

"Mornin' babe. Good swim?" The detective's voice was huskier than usual, as he was unable to take his eyes off his bare chested partner. The struggle to control himself from the bedroom window now seemed like a walk in the park. He gave himself a mental shake. He had to figure out how to approach this without ruining their friendship in the process if Mom was wrong.

"Felt good to start the morning in the water. Mom was right."

"Of course Mom was right. She usually is." Steve noted a more serious tone to Danny's response than he'd expected. For his part, Williams was hoping Mom truly was always right.

Without saying another word, the shorter man took a step toward the Seal, closing the gap between them. Planning simply to hand him the towel, he found himself reaching up and carefully beginning to dry Steve's hair.

Startled by this unexpected closeness and contact, the taller man looked down at his partner, searching for an answer he wasn't sure he was ready to see. What he saw there was an intensity that mirrored his own.

In that instant, all logic escaped him as he brought his hand to the back of Danny's neck, pulling him closer as he lowered head. A bolt of searing heat shot through him the instant their lips met, but he quickly realized Danny wasn't returning the kiss. His partner remained frozen in place.

Thinking he'd drastically misjudged the situation; that perhaps Mom wasn't always right, Steve released his hold and fled back to the water.

Left standing frozen in place, Danny's mind hadn't caught up with what had just happened, but he knew he'd just missed a perfect opportunity. He'd been so busy trying to figure out what to say, what to do next that his mind had completely shut down when Steve kissed him.

"Steven, come back here!" He yelled too late, the Seal was already underwater. Not even bothering to return to the chairs, he sat in the sand where they'd stood, where only a second before Steve had kissed him. The Seal couldn't stay in the ocean forever.

Running his hands through his hair, Danny didn't even try to check the tears that fell. He didn't know what he'd do if he'd managed to lose McGarrett before he'd ever really had him.

Staring out at the water, vision blurred by tears, he waited. Licking his lips, he could taste the saltwater on them from the all too brief kiss. The taste brought him back to the feel of it all, Steve's lips on his, his hand pulling Danny closer.

He was an idiot. He should have pulled the crazy Seal closer, wrapped him in his arms, not frozen like an inexperienced schoolgirl. Seeing that Steve was swimming back toward shore, he decided he was going to have to suck it up and go stand in the water if he had any hopes of catching his wayward partner.

Not caring if his shorts ended up wet, the detective ventured forward into the water and toward the man he loved.

Steve wasn't sure how far he'd made it from shore before he convinced himself to turn around. He was a trained Navy Seal, trained to stand his ground and fight not flee at the first sign of trouble. But this wasn't just any fight. He hadn't planned to kiss Danny. He wasn't sure exactly what he had planned, but it involved speaking first. He needed to know where they stood and yet in that moment, with Danny so close, touching him, he'd simply needed to feel him.

Taking a breath as he swam, he spotted the Jersey native wading into the ocean. Danny clearly didn't plan to let him escape the coming confrontation. Pulling up a few feet from the other man, Steve rose to his feet, the water continuing to lap around his waist.

"I'm sorry." Both men spoke at the same time.

Danny held up his hands in an effort to silence his partner. "No, Steven. You do not get to apologize this time. Unless you are apologizing for running off to hide in the ocean. Then yes, you may apologize." The shorter man was so keyed up he couldn't stop himself once the rant began. "I am the one that's sorry. I came out here to talk to you. To explain how I feel, how much I love you. Instead, when you did exactly what I've wanted you to do for I don't know how long, I froze. I panicked. And then you ran, disappeared into the water right when I realized just how much I didn't want you to stop." His voice broke and he had to stop.

Steve stared at his partner. "You love me?" His mind had stopped working at those words.

"Yes, my crazy Neanderthal, super Seal. I love you!" He gestured wildly with his arms as if somehow they could convey just how much he meant those words.

"You love me?" Steve still looked completely stunned.

"Steven, you're repeating yourself. We've established that I love you. Pick a new question." He wanted to close the distance between them, but his partner looked so overwhelmed that he was afraid any movement might send him back into the waves.

"When? How? Why?" He couldn't seem to figure out which question to settle on.

"That, Steven, was three questions not one, but I'll play nice since you seem to be a little slow this morning. I don't know exactly when I fell in love with you, because I was too far-gone before I even realized it. If you mean when I realized it that's easier; it was the day I almost died from the Sarin gas. Thinking I would never see you again. Seeing the look in your eyes when you realized something was wrong."

The Seal took a haggard breath, that day was so clearly etched in his memory. Thinking back, that was the day he'd admitted to himself just how much his partner meant to him. Just how much he couldn't imagine his life without him.

"It's hard to separate the how and why of it all." Danny continued answering the questions. "Now I see a new reason to love you every day. I think early on it was because of Grace. Steven, you are the only person on the planet that loves Grace as much as I do. Rachel loved her, but always loved herself a bit more. You put her before everything. After Rachel, I swore that I would only ever let someone close if they could do that. You have no idea how much I wanted to admit this yesterday at the beach, but I couldn't. I was to scared. To afraid that you wouldn't want me the way I wanted you and I couldn't put my happiness ahead of Gracie's. I want you; hell, I need you, but I knew she needs you more."

Danny's eyes glistened as he looked up at Steve. This was not how he'd envisioned this conversation, this confession of his innermost feelings, but he didn't care. He had said it and Steve hadn't run, hadn't yelled, hadn't sent him away.

Hearing his partner's admission, knowing now that all his fears had meant wasted moments, wasted days, that could have been spent together, Steve closed the gap between them.

Before Danny could open his mouth to speak another word, he was wrapped in McGarrett's arms. "I love you, Danno." The taller man whispered in his ear. "I love you so much. I've wanted to tell you, to show you, so many times. Yesterday, I was so afraid I'd lose you both."

Pulling away just enough that he could see Steve's eyes he shook his head. "You won't lose us. We're here. We're staying. We're family."

Those words pushed the taller man over the edge. For the second time that morning, his hand found its way into Danny's hair, pulling him closer. This time, when his lips captured the shorter man's there was no hesitation, no resistance. Every emotion pent up within the men poured into that kiss.

When they finally broke apart, both gasping for breath, Danny looked up at him and smiled. "If you don't mind, I think I'll remember that as our first kiss."

/

From the kitchen window, Mama Williams looked on at the men she loved so dearly. Perhaps she shouldn't have watch, perhaps she should have given them more privacy, but it was such a beautiful scene to behold that she just couldn't look away.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see Grace.

"I think it's time to make some celebratory breakfast." She glanced out the window to see the pair walking up the beach, hand in hand. "I think they finally sorted things out."

/

A/N: I'm going to go hide now and hope I didn't just ruin this for all of you. Please take pity and leave a review to let me know.


	16. Chapter 16

**Guardian**

A/N: Two things – First, I'm on a business trip 11/4-11/7, so no chapters will be posted those days. I did pick up a fresh notebook though, so I'll likely have handwritten quite a bit for when I return. Just didn't want you to think I'd suddenly dropped the story ;)

Second, this story is rated T with a focus on the boys and Grace; however, I am seriously considering writing some additional scenes that will not be rated T and may not appeal to everyone following this story. If you are interested in reading those please drop a note in a review or PM and let me know. If there is interest, I'll post them under a secondary rated M story. While they will fit within the plot, opting not to read them will not affect your ability to follow the main story and they may sometimes just be more detailed, explicit versions of scenes found here. Again, let me know your interest.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 16**

Looking back to her granddaughter, Beth could tell she hadn't sleep well despite not waking up with any nightmares. While the girl was clearly delighted with the prospects of her Danno and Daddy working things out, the older woman suspected the overwhelming reality of everything else was starting to creep up.

Having taught in elementary school for thirty years in New Jersey before retiring, Mrs. Williams was reasonably adept at reading children and catching signs of stress. Given how calm the little girl had been since Steve found her, she suspected Grace had been working hard to stay focused on anything other than what she had witnessed Monday afternoon. Unfortunately, reality always managed to come crashing down. This was not the first time she'd seen someone cope with extreme grief this way.

Beth was glad to know that Daniel managed to get an appointment for Saturday with Dr. James. As the most highly recommended on Dr. Thompson's list they'd been surprised to get in so quickly; however, it appeared Steve's doctor had given her a quick call to smooth the way and she was willing to meet with them on the weekend.

As Grace climbed up into a stool on the counter, her grandmother looked her over carefully. Still wearing her pajamas, she'd also wrapped herself in what appeared to be one of her Daddy's button up shirts.

"Gracie, darling, how are you doing?" Beth rounded the island and perched on the stool next to her.

"I'm… I'm… I don't know."

Wrapping her arms around Grace, the woman was so glad she'd made the hasty trip to Hawaii. Holding her granddaughter tightly, she wondered if perhaps her husband was right. Maybe it was time to consider relocating to Hawaii.

"It's okay not to know, darling. You don't have to pretend to be okay for us. Remember, we're family. We're here to help you in any way we can."

Grace nodded against her grandmother's shoulder. She'd spent all the time locked in the bathroom focused on every possibly way that Steve might figure out she needed him to come for her. The first day after he found her being so relieved that he'd come and yesterday focusing on the plans she'd had for months to get Daddy and Danno together that she'd managed to push the memory of Monday down.

Last night, she'd had no nightmares. She hadn't woken up screaming, but when morning came the memories came with it. She'd swallowed the scream that threatened to rise and reached for Steve's shirt draped on the foot of the bed, determined to be tough like him.

/

Not expecting the others to be awake yet, the guys decided to take a short walk before heading to the house. They didn't realize Mom had caught what they'd agreed would be their official first kiss.

Starting off hand in hand, it wasn't long before they'd gravitated closer. Steve's arm slung around Danny's shoulders as Danny's slipped around his waist.

Reaching a small area of beach largely hidden by trees, the Seal finally turned on his partner. Capturing Danny's lips again, he moaned as the kiss was eagerly returned.

Several moments later, the pair finally stepped apart again. Looking up at the sun, Steve realized that by now there was a good chance Mom and Grace would be awake. Guiding Danny back toward the house, he relished this quiet time together. This new dynamic between them would take some getting used to, but they'd been so close for so long that it actually felt like a relatively easy transition.

"Why do I feel like this is the calm before the storm?" Steve finally asked as they came within sight of home.

"You consider the last two days to be calm?" The detective's tone was a bit startled.

"The more I think about it, yes. I do. I know they've been eventful, but after what we know Grace experienced Monday I do think things have been entirely too calm." The Seal was genuinely worried.

Her question the day before had made him start thinking about things from his past. Things he'd tried so hard to forget, but that one-day always managed to come back with a vengeance.

"I know. It's a good thing Dr. James was willing to get us in so fast. Next time you talk to Dr. Thompson let him know how much I appreciate his help there."

Smiling down at his partner, Steve was glad his visits to the shrink were no longer a secret. "I will. He knows how much you guys mean to me, so I'm sure he was more than happy to help."

"Why do I feel like there's something else you aren't telling me?" Stopping to retrieve the discarded towel and water bottle, Danny turned to face the Seal. "This isn't just some generic concern about Gracie, is it?"

The usually stoic man looked met his eyes. "No Danny, it's not. I'm afraid she's going to try to be like us. To be tough and not let people see how scared and upset she really is. I don't want to scare her with the things I've done, but I feel like I need to tell her more. Tell her that I'm not always tough; tell her how trying to be so tough almost did me in. I want her to know that she can talk to us, tell us anything, and we won't think she's weak because of it. I want her to know that seeing Dr. James isn't something to be ashamed of."

The detective stared up silently at his partner before giving in and folding him into his arms. His voice quiet, he was in awe of the man he loved. "That, babe, is part of why I love you so much. You are willing to do whatever it takes to help our daughter. Don't think I don't know just how hard it is for you to admit all of this. How hard it is for you to dredge up memories and emotions that you wish would stay buried. Why don't you talk to Gracie today?"

Giving the Seal a gentle kiss on the cheek, Danny released his hold and reached for the other man's hand. "Why don't we go see if they are awake?"

Opening the door to the house, the pair heard Mom's voice muffled in the kitchen. Not wanting to startle them, Danny called out a quick hello.

What they weren't expecting was the sight of Grace running past them and fleeing up the stairs. The pair gave each other a startled look. Both wanted to run after and make sure she was okay, but it took them a moment to regain the ability to move. By that time, Beth was standing in the entry with them.

"She didn't want you to see her cry. Didn't want you think she was weak." Mom looked at them. She'd tried to tell her granddaughter that it was okay. That even Danno and Daddy weren't always tough, but the girl was too upset to consider all the time's she'd see the two men upset.

"Babe," Danny turned to Steve. "I hope you're ready, because I think it's time for that talk."

Nodding his head, the Seal quickly bound up the steps after their daughter as the detective turned to his mother. "He may be emotionally challenged sometimes, but that man is incredibly perceptive and loves that little girl more than life itself."

He wrapped an arm around his mom and led her back to the kitchen.

"I do believe he loves someone else that much too." She smiled at him. "I'm glad you two worked things out. She's going to need both of you to get through this."

/

The door to Grace's room was still ajar and Steve could hear the sound of quiet sobbing within. Hearing that sound, it felt like someone had ripped his heart out and was doing an Irish jig on it.

Knocking softly, he called out to her. "Gracie, its Daddy. Can I come in?"

He didn't hear a negative, so he gently pushed the door open. What he saw only made him feel worse. She was draped across the bed, head buried in the crook of her arm, back facing the door.

Not wanting to get her bed wet with his still damp trunks, he walked over to the side of the bed where her head was and knelt on the floor. Placing his arms on the bed next to her, he threaded the fingers of his hands together and rested his chin on them.

He wanted to reach out and haul her into his arms, but if she was as much like he and Danny as he feared she would need a chance to collect herself before she would let him. A terrified Grace couldn't get into their protective arms fast enough, but this wasn't just fear.

"Sweetheart, I know you're upset and I just want to help. I think maybe it's time I told you a few things about me." Her sobs seemed to be quieting. A part of him hoped that his presence was enough to help calm her some, enough that she would be able to listen.

"Before I met you and Danno I was really lonely. I'd done a lot of things that I didn't like to think about. Things that helped keep us safe, but that were really hard. I had nightmares sometimes, but I never told anyone. I kept everything bottled up, believing that if I told anybody, if I showed anybody that those things hurt me that they would think I was weak."

Continuing to stare at the brown haired girl in front of him, he noticed a small shift of her head. Just enough to tell him that she was hearing him.

"I didn't want them to think that. I'm supposed to be one of the tough ones, somebody that everyone else can rely on. After I met the two of you, I started to realize that maybe trying to take on everything myself wasn't so tough. Danno was so quick to admit that he needed you. He didn't try to hide how he felt, when he was worried he'd tell me all about it. I started to see that it didn't make him weak to need someone else or to admit it. It made him stronger. When he admitted he didn't know what to do or how to fix something we could always figure it out together."

He gave a weak smile when her eyes finally looked up at him.

"Gracie, it was you and Danno that taught me that it was okay not to bottle up everything inside. I started talking to Danno sometimes, when it was things I wouldn't get in trouble for sharing, and that helped. He would listen, sometimes he would tell me how stupid and reckless I'd been, but he never made me feel bad for needing to talk. Even you, there were days when you just seemed to know that I was sad or something was wrong. You never pushed me to talk, but you were always there with a hug; a chance to remind myself that I wasn't just the man that had done all those things."

The little girl sat up and scrambled down from the bed to sit next to him. Shifting his own body, he sat with his legs stretched out in front of him, watching her look up at him. Opening his arms, she wasted no time accepting the silent invitation and launched herself into his lap.

Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "We don't want you to bottle everything up, Gracie. We want you to talk to us, to talk to Dr. James tomorrow." They'd already mentioned she was going to see the doctor. "The thing is we didn't just pick Dr. James out of a hat. I have a doctor just like her that works for the Navy. Dr. Thompson is the one that I talk to when I need to talk about stuff that I can't tell Danno. I called him, because I wanted you to have someone to talk to, someone that might have better answers than Danno and me."

Steve heard Danny's footsteps as he entered the room. Lowering himself to the floor next to his daughter and partner, Danny leaned against the Seal's shoulder. He'd been standing outside listening and was impressed with how well Steve was explaining things in a way that would hopefully help her start to see she didn't need to hide what she was feeling.

"Monkey, we will love you no matter what and we will be here to help you in every possible way, but Super Seal is right. There are answers that we may not have and we want you to be comfortable talking to Dr. James. We will go with you too, because sometimes we might all want to talk to her together."

The little girl nodded her head. "You won't be disappointed that I can't be tough all the time?"

"Gracie," Steve was quick to answer. "You don't have to be tough all the time, but what I've learned is that sometimes admitting you need help and letting people in actually means you're a lot tougher than trying to hide it all inside."

The little girl rested her head against his shoulder, right next to her Danno's. He shifted slightly, so his arm could join Steve's wrapped around her. For a while, the remained quietly on the floor each gaining a bit of strength to face whatever came next simply from knowing that they would all face it together.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review including any feedback on the second part of my note at the beginning.

I'll do my best to get something posted Thursday afternoon or evening upon my return, but should have the next chapter up by Friday at the latest. Chances are I'll have several chapters written up by then.


	17. Chapter 17

**Guardian**

A/N: Surprise! I managed to get one more done before the trip.

For those interested and haven't yet found it, the additional McDanno scenes are up under the M rated title Guardian: Love Explored.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 17**

Walking into his closet, Steve took a deep, shuddering breath. Glad that what he'd said seemed to help Grace, putting so much of himself out there still wasn't something that came easily for him. He wanted to collect his thoughts and emotions before going down for breakfast. She didn't need to see how rattled he was.

He stared unseeing at the shelf of shorts and t-shirts in front of him. The Seal was so distracted, he didn't hear the sound of the bedroom door opening as Danny slipped in only a moment behind him.

Having made sure his little girl was settled and getting dressed, the Jersey native came to check on his partner. He'd been right about Gracie and was bound to be feeling incredibly exposed after the conversation in her room.

Following the abnormally uneven sound of the Seal's breathing, he quickly found him. Hesitating slightly at the closet door, he quickly closed the gap between them. After the morning they'd shared, he no longer felt the need to stop from wrapping the taller man in his embrace.

"Oh babe." His partner seemed to crumpled against him, long arms returning the embrace. "Please don't tell me you were trying to hide from me?"

"Not from you, Danny. Never from you. I just needed a few minutes to pull it together." Steve leaned back from him, straightening to his full height. "I'm okay. Just not used to… didn't expect…"

Placing one finger across his partner's lips, Danny should his head. "I know. That's why I came to check on you. I know you don't want her to see how much it takes you to put all that out there to help her, but that doesn't mean I don't see it." He hated the little bit of fear he saw in the Seal's eyes. "Steve, listen to me. What you did in there, everything you said to her, just gave me even more reasons to love you. It's okay that it wasn't easy. That just makes it all the more endearing that you did it."

Danny reached forward and gave him a quick, chaste kiss. "You, my crazy Super Seal, are an amazing man and an amazing daddy." Reaching around him, he pulled shorts and a t-shirt from the shelf. "Now get your gorgeous behind dressed so we can go have breakfast with our daughter and Mom."

"Yes, sir." Steve mock saluted him before passing him to reenter the bedroom, earning him a swift smack on the ass from Danny.

A few minutes later, the pair emerged just as Grace was leaving her room. They both noticed her arms wrapped around her body, hands rubbing her shoulders as if she were cold even though it was a perfectly beautiful Hawaiian day.

Having noticed she was wearing his shirt from Wednesday again this morning, Steve guessed it had acted as something of a security blanket for her.

"Hey Gracie," he lifted her into his arms and welcome the feel of her small arms wrapped around him. "Did I ever tell you how Mary used to raid our dad's closet all the time when she was little? She was forever running around in his shirts, said it made her feel like he was always right there, and reminded her that she was safe."

Both Williams faces turned up to look at him. "Since we haven't gone to get all Danno's clothes yet, would you like to raid my closet?" His idea was rewarded with two huge smiles and an enthusiastic nod from Grace.

Heading back into his closet, his newly claimed daughter still in his arms, he heard Danny murmur under his breath. "One more reason, babe, one more reason."

Several minutes later, their little girl was wrapped safely in a khaki color shirt and had stashed a few others in her bedroom closet for future use, the trio headed downstairs to find Mom sitting at the island with a huge breakfast spread in front of her.

"Hope you're hungry." She gestured to the pancakes, bacon, and juice. "Sit down and eat before it all gets cold."

Danny made his way to the stool next to her, leaving Grace and Steve to sit across from them. As the Seal piled the little girl's plate with food, Mom snuck a glance at her biological son.

His answering smile was all she needed to see. The new Daddy had managed to calm her. Albeit, this was only the first step in the process to see the little girl truly heal from the trauma.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Mom asked.

The men both looked to Grace. Though there were things that needed to get done in the coming days, they were prepared to let her set the pace for the day.

"Danno needs to go get his stuff from the apartment." She declared. The mention upstairs of his clothes reminded her that in some ways they were still straddling two places. She wanted them to be completely here, completely home.

"You sure you're up for that, Monkey?" Danny queried. That would allow them to knock out one of the things they needed to deal with. He could hand in his notice to cancel the lease. Though he wasn't looking forward to paying his way out of the remaining three months of agreement, he was more than willing to do just that. He knew Steve's house was long since paid for, so he wasn't even going to broach the subject of paying rent and offend the Neanderthal.

"Yeah, Danno, I'm sure. You need your stuff and then we don't have to go back there again."

Beth imagined this was a small way of putting a bit of closure on the chapter of her life that involved Daniel's small apartment and Rachel and Stan's house. This little step gave her some measure of control.

"I'll give Chin a call and see if they can meet us there with some boxes." Steve stuffed another bit of pancakes in his mouth, groaning at the small bit of heaven. Beth and Danny both laughed at him. "What? I don't get homemade pancakes often."

"Well, my dear boy, I'll be glad to cook you breakfast as long as I'm here." Beth reached across the island and squeezed his hand.

Danny turned to her and frowned. "Just remember, if you spoil him I have to live with the consequences. Be careful what precedent you set."

Steve looked from his partner to Grace, a pout forming on his face.

"Danno, play nice. You've had years to enjoy Grandma's pancakes. We still have to catch up." She gave the Seal a wink. She was taking Daddy's side on this debate.

Beth smiled at the three. She'd always been close to her eldest. The last couple of years, so far away, had been hard on her and her husband. She missed getting to see Grace grow up. They spoke every week, but it wasn't the same as being here for the little moments. Steven may have come into their lives later than the other two, but he clearly need the unconditional love and caring that only a mother could provide.

Seeing them here, she could see that Paul was right. Before she called him and told him to start making the necessary arrangements, she needed to speak with her sons. While she expected no resistance from them, she respected them enough to give him a say in the matter.

After they'd all eaten, far more than they probably should have, Grace excused herself to go brush her teeth, leaving the three adults sitting at the island.

"Boys, I need to speak to you about something." They both looked to her, waiting for her to continue. "Your father and I have been discussing making a change." Their faces both fell immediately. Reaching out to clasp one of each of their hands on the table, she laughed gently.

"No. No. Not that kind of change. We've been discussing relocating. With Great Aunt Meg finally passing away, there's no family left to hold us in New Jersey."

"Where?" Steve spoke first and neither Williams missed the hint of hope in his voice.

"Here. Not here in his house, but here on this island. Close enough to be a part of Gracie's life. Close enough to be a part of your lives." Daniel was still looking relieved that his parents weren't getting a divorce. Steven looked like a small child at Christmas.

"Really? You want to move here?" The Seal sounded like a kid being told he was having his favorite dessert.

"I wanted to talk to you about it first, both of you. While your dad and I have discussed the possibility and I know he's fully prepared to make the move, I didn't want you to feel like we were encroaching on your lives." She looked to Danny, as her eldest they'd always been close, but he'd always had an independent streak.

Realizing she was waiting for him to respond, he glanced first at his partner before looking to her. "We'd love to have you closer. We've created an ohana here, but having you and Dad close. Having you around for Grace, for us, would be wonderful."

As much as Danny was loath to admit it, he was tied to this island now more than he'd ever been. Rachel's death meant technically he could take Gracie and move wherever he wanted, but their life was here with Steve.

The Seal sat silent as the detective answered. It hadn't dawned on him until Mama Williams mentioned moving that Danny could have decided to do just that, pack up Grace and move back to New Jersey. That he was instead encouraging his parents to move here meant that this was finally becoming home in every sense.

Their eyes met across the island, an unspoken message shared, a reminder that what they shared wasn't just a fleeting, temporary thing, but a commitment to each other. A commitment to Grace and the family they created.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	18. Chapter 18

**Guardian**

A/N: I'm back! I managed to get a fair amount of writing done while traveling. Just a warning this chapter is a hard one. I'll own up to tearing up a bit while writing one particular part of it (you'll probably understand when you get there).

If anyone is interested, the song 10,000 Stones by Adrianne is something of a theme song for this story and Grace. There are a few others that are on the playlist as well, just let me know if anybody cares to know what they are.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 18**

Opening the door to the tiny apartment, Danny was anxious to get it packed and cleaned. It wouldn't take too long. He hated this place so much that he'd never really bothered turning it into home and once he and Grace started spending their time together at Steve's he'd done little more than sleep within these walls.

Looking back, he realized Steve had known. Not only that, but in his own subtle way he'd helped. The Seal was forever coming up with some ridiculous reason to grab dinner, a beer, or go unwind at his place after work, always preventing Danny from going back to the apartment for the evening.

"Okay, son, what can I do?" Beth was quick to volunteer. She could sense his desire to leave this place behind and could see why.

"Kitchen?" He questioned. "Just don't judge."

She laughed, but quickly smiled as Steve defended him. "Any cooking usually happened at my place."

Walking into the tiny kitchen, she quickly called back to them. "I can see why!" There was barely room to fix a bowl of cereal; much less a real home cooked meal.

"Chin and Kono should be here soon with boxes." Danny reminded everyone. "Cleaning stuff is under the kitchen sink."

"Found that already. Go pack up your room. Grace and I can handle things out here."

They'd already determined his sparse and rather underwhelming furniture collection would get donated. One of Chin's many cousins would be stopping to pick it up for them in about an hour.

As the women set to work, the boys disappeared to the bedroom. Stopping inside the door, Danny felt his partner press against his back as his long arms wrapped loosely around him.

"You sure you're ready for this? Giving up your own space?" Steve spoke quietly.

"Are you kidding me, babe? You know how much I hate this place. Matter of fact, I was realizing just how useful you've been in keeping me from losing my mind by spending too much time here. Don't think I didn't notice."

Leaning his head back against Steve's chest, he smiled. "Let's pack up my meager belongings and get back home."

Steve moved to the closet, pulling hangers of slacks and dress shirts of the bar. "I'm just gonna put these in the back seat. No point taking them off the hanger for such a short trip." They'd brough both their vehicles plus would have Chin and Kono's cars, so there would be no shortage of room to fit everything.

Jogging back up the stairs a few minutes later, the Seal heard the sound of glass shattering against a wall in the apartment. Breaking into a spring, he busted back through the door to find Grace staring at the wall, tears streaming down her face.

Danny and Beth both stood a few feet away starting at her; seemingly frozen in place. The adults were unsure what sparked the sudden outburst.

From his vantage point, Steve could see the shatter frame and picture. It was a picture of the little girl with Stan and Rachel that the woman had insisted she have with her at Danny's place. Of course, Grace had stuck it in a drawer and forgotten about it, until now.

Steve mouthed "the picture" and gestured his partner forward and the pair cautiously approached their daughter. Hearing footsteps outside, Beth snuck quietly out the door to keep the cousins from intruding. They'd give the boys a few minutes to make sure Grace was okay.

As the door clicked behind her, the men knelt on either side of Grace. Her small frame crumpled into her Danno's arms, Steve immediately engulfing them both in his strong embrace.

"I hate him!" She choked through the sobs. "I hate him. He killed her."

The men clung to her as her angry sobs continued. Danny could have kicked himself for forgetting that stupid picture was still in the drawer. It hadn't seen the light of day since the weekend Grace brought it. He'd asked her if she wanted to take it to Steve's and she flatly refused.

Unsure of what to say, Steve could only hold them more tightly to him. He understood her anger, but had no answer to help make it better. He couldn't protect her from this hurt. A renewed desire to beat Stan within an inch of his life surged through him, but he knew in the end it would get them nowhere.

"Gracie, do you want to talk about it?" Danny finally asked. Very little had been said up to now about what had happened. They hadn't wanted to push her when she was clearly not ready. "We're here for you." And he knew it would always be we not just him. Steve was just invested in his little girl as he was.

"No." She paused for only a second. "I'm just so angry at him. He didn't have to do it. Mom was trying to get us out." Despite her negative answer, the words seemed to pour out of her. "It was the first time she tried to leave during a fight. He was still drinking. He looked so scary. I tried to pull her out of the kitchen so we could go, but he grabbed her and wouldn't let go. I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't get her free from him. I ended up getting thrown into the cabinet when he jerked her away."

That explained some of the bruising on her back. The men clung to their daughter, afraid if they let go one or both of them would land in jail for killing a prisoner.

"That's when he did it. He pushed her so hard. The sound when her head it the counter, it was….. There was so much blood. I couldn't move at first, just stared at the floor. Then I screamed and he lunged for me, grabbing my shirt."

The Seal remembered her torn clothing all to well.

"I wasn't strong enough. He kept hitting me, trying to make me hold still, be quiet. I thought he was going to do the same thing to me that he'd done to Mommy. I knew she was dead, there was so much blood and she'd stopped moving, stopped making any noise. When his hand finally slipped a little, I hit him with my elbow. His other arm finally let go and I ran. I heard him yelling my name, coming after me before I could get to my room, so I locked myself in the bathroom."

It made sense, she was aiming for her room. The room where she could have locked the door, but also had a phone and could have called for help, but she was afraid she couldn't make it all the way down the hall. She'd hid in the first room that locked.

"Gracie, I'm so sorry. I should have been there sooner." It didn't matter that it wasn't his fault; he would never forgive himself for not being there to rescue her.

Steve wanted to ask why she hadn't told them how bad things were with the Edwards. He would have done everything in his power to get her out of what had clearly become a toxic environment.

The little girl squirmed in their arms until they loosened their hold. Then she turned toward the Seal.

"I knew you would come. I knew if I could only call you, you'd be there. I wanted to get to my room, to the phone, but every time I started to try I 'd hear him and I was too scared to try." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "He kept yelling that no one would come for me. That nobody would care that I was locked in there. 'Danno isn't here to save you now.' He kept yelling, but I told him. I told him my Daddy could come."

Her faith in him made it hurt even worse that he hadn't come sooner. Steve remembered the nightmare, her declaration that Daddy would come. He hated that she'd had to wait so long for him to make good on her words.

Danny wrapped his arms around the pair as best he could. His anguish at seeing the pain in both of them made his heart physically hurt. He wanted to fix this, but he just didn't know how.

"We will always come for you, Grace. Always." The detective spoke with fierce determination. He'd tear the island, the entire world, apart to find her if needed and he knew his partner would too.

"I know." She didn't hesitate with that declaration. Her incredible conviction that they wouldn't fail her humbled both men.

The three remained in a silent embrace for several long moments.

"Do you want to go home, Gracie?" Danny didn't want to make her stay here after rehashing what she'd seen on Monday. He could deal with the apartment later.

"No. I want to finish." They both detected a bit of the Williams' steel in her voice, a hint of her determination to make it through.

Slowly breaking away from their spot on the floor, Steve reached behind him and picked up the picture before she could spot it again. He didn't want her to see it again so soon, or possibly ever.

The little girl gave them each another hug before moving to the door, having heard Kono's quiet voice outside. Opening it, she looked at the three waiting faces and tried to force a smile.

"Sorry." She felt bad for leaving them stuck outside.

The Hawaiian woman squatted down in front of her, pulling her into a loving hug. "It's okay, Gracie. We didn't mind waiting." Leaning back a bit, she looked the little girl in her eyes. "I'm here if you need me, okay?" Receiving a quick nod and small smile, Kono released her and headed in.

Chin leaned down to give Grace a hug of his own. "That goes for me too, you know. Anytime you need me. I'm there." He felt her nod against his shoulder.

It was killing both of the cousins to know what she was going through. They couldn't change what had happened, but they'd be there for the fallout. Be there to help her pick up the pieces.

Reaching back, Chin grabbed the stack of flattened boxes and followed Kono inside, leaving Grace and Beth alone on the landing.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" Her grandmother asked as she pulled her into a tight hug.

"No, but I will be." The hint of steel was still in her voice. She really was her father's daughter. Beth hoped her recovery would be eased by the amount of support she clearly had and the little girl's determination that she would indeed by okay.

"That's right, Gracie. You will be and we're all here to help along the way." She kissed her granddaughter's cheek before they ventured back into the apartment.

The remnants of the broken picture frame were gone. They living are now housed a growing pile of boxes ready to pack.

"I put a couple in the kitchen with some paper to wrap the dishes." Chin offered when he saw them. "If you two want to tackle that we'll finish in here." He wasn't sure if there were any more potential landmines in the living area and didn't want to take that risk.

Two hours later, Danny closed the door on the now vacant apartment and turned to the elderly woman that had been his landlord.

"How much do I owe you for breaking the lease?"

The woman smiled at him, eyes crinkled. "Nothing my dear. I heard what happened on the news and that handsome partner of yours explained why you needed to move. I'll get it rented back out quickly enough." She handed him a check. "Here's your deposit. Now you go take care of that little girl."

The older woman shuffled off, leaving Danny speechless. He wondered what exactly his partner had explained to her, but decided to take the little bit of good fortune without question or complaint.

Meeting the others at the cars, he gave the Seal a warm smile. "Let's go home."

"I like the sound of that." Steve climbed into his truck, Grace already safely strapped in the back. Danny was a bit surprised when his mother climbed into Chin's vehicle instead of his car.

"We'll be right behind you. We're going to call one of his cousin's so he can start pulling together real estate listings." Beth waved to him before closing the door.

Of course, Chin and Kono seemed to have cousins that did almost everything. Firing up the Camaro, Danny gave the apartment one last glance in the rearview mirror before following his partner's blue truck onto the road.

Having a rare moment to himself, the detective considered the whirlwind of a week they were wrapping up. Sunday had been hard, Grace was so unusually distraught over his departure, but he'd needed to make the trip to Jersey for the funeral. Of course, knowing what he did now he would have pulled her out of school to come with him.

When Steve dropped him off at the airport, he'd struggled with his desire to give the Seal a proper goodbye kiss, but had fully expected that would have landed him a punch in the face and a quick end to what relationship they did have. Now he wished he'd taken that chance.

Wednesday had been a wreck. He'd forgotten his phone when they went to the actual funeral, which had subsequently caused a delay, no matter how small, in finding Grace. He was incredibly glad he'd fought Rachel and insisted on Steve's inclusion on every emergency contact form for that related to Grace.

The long hours of travel had been torture. He'd wanted to be there, to hold his baby girl, but had also struggled with Steve's uncharacteristic declaration that he needed him. Yes, he'd said Grace needed him to come home, but he'd also admitted he needed him too.

What a difference two days made; it was going to take time for Grace to feel anything closely resembling normal again, but she was doing better than expected.

Judging by the experience in the apartment, she was moving into the anger stage of grief. He could understand that phase and suspected so could Steve. He only hoped the anger didn't channel itself in a direction she would regret later.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	19. Chapter 19

**Guardian**

A/N: To the reviewers that have asked, the story isn't over yet. Though I don't know exactly how long the story will be, I can safely say there are many chapters left to come.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 19**

Hauling the hangers full of Danny's clothing up the stairs, Steve hesitated at the door to his own bedroom, suddenly unsure if he should put them in his closet or if his partner wanted to maintain a separate bedroom at this point.

Deciding to err on the side of caution, he started to pass his door when Grace's voice stopped him.

"Isn't Danno going to stay with you?" She sounded slightly worried.

"I'm actually not sure, Gracie. I forgot to ask him about that before I started carrying stuff up here."

"Forgot to ask me about what?" Danny's voice carried up the stairs before he appeared.

"Room arrangements." Steve gave him a small shrug of the shoulders. He hadn't anticipated Grace bringing it up.

"Mommy and Stan stopped sharing a room before they started fighting so much." Grace offered up. This observation suddenly made it very clear why she was worried about where Danno's stuff was going. In her experience, separate rooms meant fighting.

"Well, Monkey, I'd love to share Super Seal's room, but I don't know if he has room for my stuff with all his Army uniforms." The detective hoped to diffuse the serious tone a bit. He'd love to share Steve's room, but didn't want to push too fast.

"Danno! It's the Navy!" Grace glared up at him, a smile playing on her lips.

Chuckling at the pair, Steve smiled. "And I'm quite certain I can make room." He'd throw half his wardrobe away if it meant making room for Danny.

Grace's smile bloomed more widely when her Daddy took a step toward his room with the pile of Danno's clothes. No matter how off balance she currently felt, it was comforting to know that Danno and Daddy were happy together.

Proceeding to take the small box of her things into her bedroom, she set it on the floor before grabbing the giant HPD bear and climbing onto her bed.

Ever since she'd told them about what happened Monday, she'd been angry with Stan. Sitting on the bed, she realized she wasn't just angry that he'd killed her mom, she was angry that he'd hurt her and she hadn't been able to stop him. She was angry because she hated feeling like a victim, Danno taught her to be stronger than that.

Coming back out of what was now their room several minutes later, Steve and Danny went to check on Grace. It had been a difficult morning for her and they worried that things were only going to get worse.

Seeing her on the bed, clinging to the huge bear, Steve immediately recognized the look on her face.

"Gracie, you look like you're thinking really hard about something." He perched near the foot of her bed as Danny circled around to sit beside him. "Care to tell us what you're thinking about?"

She squeezed the huge bear tighter before meeting Steve's eyes. "I'm scared." Her voice was small and quiet. "He hurt me and I couldn't stop him and now I'm scared that if I'm not with you," she looked to both men, "that I'm not strong enough if someone tries to hurt me again."

Both men wanted to reassure her that they would never let that happen, but they knew better. Before Danny could reply, the Seal's hand on his forearm stalled him.

Looking to his partner, the detective raised an eyebrow.

"I have an idea." He stood and stretched a hand toward the little girl. "Let's go see what they've got for lunch downstairs, we're going to need help with this plan."

Grace clasped his hand and followed. If Daddy had a plan, she would trust him implicitly.

Danny followed behind them. Steve's plans usually scared him as they often involved gunfire, explosives, or the occasionally shark cage, but where their daughter was involved, he trusted the maniac to keep her safe.

Ten minutes later, they'd all taken seats around the dining room table for an easy lunch of sandwiches and a variety of other side items, when the doorbell rang. Not expecting anyone, Steve gestured the others to remain seated. He would deal with the visitor.

Much to his surprise, he saw Catherine through the window. She always visited when she was in port, but he hadn't realized she would be in town.

As he opened the door, she spoke before he could. "I saw the news. I had to come check on you guys. I'm sorry, I should have called first."

"Relax Cath. Ohana's all here. Just sat down for lunch if you're hungry." Though she wasn't as much a part of the close-knit group as the members of the task force, she'd spent plenty of time with them. Steve knew she and Grace had grown particularly fond of each other, particularly after his relationship with Catherine had changed.

She stepped inside at the invite. With no family and few other good friends on the island, she was glad they maintained a close friendship even after their romantic involvement ended.

"I could actually use your help with something if you'll be here for more than a day or two." McGarrett queried as they walked toward the dining room.

She nodded. This clearly wasn't the kind of Navy resource help he usually asked her for. "Anything. We're scheduled to be in for at least a month."

Following him to the table, Cath wasn't surprised to see everyone, including a woman she assumed was Danny's mom gathered. She carefully chose a seat away from Steve. Judging by the look from Danny they'd either worked things out or were close to it and the Seal hadn't explained the full and current nature of his relationship with her to Danny yet.

"Sorry to just drop in, but I wanted to let you all know I was here and wanted to help if I could."

Her eyes met Danny's and though he appeared cautious, he appeared accepting of her presence. She couldn't help the wide smile when the detective openly claimed Steve's hand on the table with his own.

"Thanks Catherine. We appreciate it." The Jersey native relaxed slightly noticing her pleased expression at his stupidly territorial move. Maybe she was included in the group that had been waiting for him and Steve to get to the point.

"Catherine's arrival is actually very well timed." He remained oblivious to the exchange between his former and current lovers. He paused to look at Grace, an unspoken request for permission to share what she'd divulged upstairs.

She nodded her consent. This was her ohana, even Catherine, and she knew it was safe for them to know her fears. Knew they wouldn't judge or laugh.

"Grace was brave enough to tell Danno and me that she's feeling scared after what happened, especially when she's not with one of us. After getting hurt on Monday, she's afraid of being hurt again because she doesn't know how to defend herself." He was careful to word the challenge in a way that presented a solvable problem.

Catherine looked at Steve; she had a growing suspicion what kind of help he was asking from her and was pleased that he trusted her.

"I'd really like to teach Gracie how to defend herself, but I'm going to need some help. Originally, I'd planned to ask Kono to help, but now I think Catherine can help too. They are both very skilled at handling themselves in a fight and would make great self-defense teachers."

Danny looked up at him and grinned lovingly. "Brilliant plan, babe." He whispered quietly. He knew someday Grace would need to learn more, but hadn't expected it to come so soon. While he'd wanted to reassure her that he'd protect her, Steve had considered the broader tactical picture, considered a course that would be far more beneficial.

"Of course I'll help!" Kono exclaimed. She'd learned to fight her bigger cousins as a kid and knew she could show Grace quite a few tricks.

"Me too!" Catherine smiled at the little girl. "We'll teach you how to take down Uncle Chin in no time." She suspected it would be a while before Grace discovered the fun in sparring with Steve and Danny.

The table was full of excited chatter about Grace's self-defense training. Though the reason behind it was one they all wished never existed; they would do everything they could to make it a fun learning experience and give some of her confidence back.

Beth's unusually timid voice eventually broke into the chaos. "Would you mind if I joined the training? I'd like to learn too." She'd thought about it before, but had never followed through despite Danny and her husband urging her to take classes.

"Of course not, Mrs. Williams." Catherine answered then quickly froze. The abrupt silence in the room left her wondering if she'd stepped out of line by agreeing.

Beth smiled as she corrected her. "It's Mom dear. Not as long as you a part of this ohana."

Cath released the breath she'd been holding and smiled warmly. She'd never had a family quite like this one.

After the meal, Danny started clearing the dishes and Catherine quickly volunteered to help while encouraging the others to relax.

Once they'd set the dishes down in the kitchen, she reached for Danny's arm before he could jump into cleaning. "I take it you two finally quit beating around the bush?"

The detective laughed. "Yeah, shortly before breakfast this morning." He blushed slightly. "Sorry about my little display back there. I just found out you guys weren't still intimate," he stumbled over the word, "this morning and he was too busy to elaborate on exactly what that meant. Apparently my inner caveman still saw you as competition."

Catherine laughed at his honesty. "Don't worry; I know it feels seeing every woman on the island ogling him. Danny, trust me when I say that I figured out a long time ago that he had eyes for no one but you. Steve and I have a history. We kept each other occupied for a bit, but I've always known our hearts weren't in it. I'm just glad to see him happy; glad that we were able to stay friends when it was time to move on."

Danny leaned in and gave her a hug. "Thanks, Catherine. Means a lot to know you're okay with it and I'm glad you managed to stay friends too. I'd hate to see Grace lose one of the positive female role models in her life."

As they moved to start washing the dishes, the detective gave her the rundown of everything she'd missed knowing that the news would have only provided the barest of details.

Dishes finally done, Catherine leaned back against the counter. "I should probably go see if I can find a place to stay on base. I really don't want to crash on the ship if I don't have to, but I think Casa de McGarrett is a bit full at the moment. I'll come back once it's sorted so we can give Gracie the demo we talked about."

Kono entered the room just in time to catch her comment. "How about checking out Casa de Kalakaua? I've got a spare room that's been sadly lacking in visitors lately."

Catherine appeared startled at the offer. "Are you sure?" The Naval officer didn't want to encroach and while she and Kono got along, they'd never been particularly close. "I'm supposed to be here for a month and I don't want to be in the way."

The Hawaiian rolled her eyes. "Seriously? We all spend most of our time together anyway and I could use some female company. I'm around the boys way too much!" Kono proceeded to put the leftovers away.

"In that case, I'd be delighted to crash with you." She helped fit the last few things into the fridge.

Danny started to leave the kitchen, but stopped short. "Kono, Catherine, I just wanted to say I really appreciate you guys being so willing to help." He held up his hands when they both started to argue. "I know. I know, but it doesn't change the fact that it means a hell of a lot to me that you're here to help."

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.

For those interested, the boys may or may not have gotten a bit distracted hanging up Danny's clothes. You might want to pop over to Guardian: Love Explored to see what they were up to ;)


	20. Chapter 20

**Guardian**

A/N: It's been an emotional string of chapters, so I think it's time to let them all catch their breath a bit This chapter was fun to write since I used to help teach women's defense.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them although it's starting to feel like I'm torturing them.

**Chapter 20**

With seven of them, it took little time to unload the rest of Danny's belongings. Aside from the clothes, most of the boxes ended up piled in the den. They'd deal with them later.

"Can you show me now?" Grace ran up to Catherine and Kono. "Please." They'd promised to give her a demonstration of some of what they'd learned over the years.

"Tell you what, Gracie," Steve interrupted, "why don't we all throw on our swimsuits under some comfortable clothes. Then we can for a swim before dinner after we get all sweaty." The Seal had no doubt the simple demonstration was going to lead to most of them getting sweaty. They always enjoyed a chance to spar and most of them could use the chance to unwind a bit.

The little girl gave him a quick hug before scurrying up the stairs, leaving the adults smiling after her.

"Just take it easy on my right side today." Catherine eyed all the men. "I took a misstep on the ship. Looks worse than it feels, but play nice."

The three looked concerned. "We don't want you to end up getting hurt worse. We can always just attack Kono today." Chin offered.

"Oh no. I'm not missing out on the fun. It's mostly healed up anyway, just looks horrible."

Twenty minutes found everyone out on the beach. A few blankets spread for those not actively participating at any point. Grace grinned up at Beth, she'd seen the team spar together before and it was always fun to watch.

"Just wait, Grandma. You'll never believe the stuff they can do." The older woman grinned back. She had to admit she was looking forward to seeing what this bunch could do.

As everyone else watched, Catherine and Chin stood on the sand. They'd decided they'd start slow, explaining what was going to happen and each step of what Cath would do to defend herself. They'd work up from there so she could see how well the two trained women could react to a surprise attack, but wanted to tread careful to see how she reacted.

"First, I'm going to come up behind Catherine and try to grab her." He got his arms around the women, trapping her arms beneath this own.

The Navy officer grinned at the other women. "I'll try not to hurt him too bad." Looking over to Steve, she laughed. "We should probably get some training pads to help prevent injuries before we get too far into their training."

"Good call." Steve and the other men laughed.

"In the meantime, yes, please take it easy. I don't want to walk around the island looking like I've been beat up." Chin laughed as he attempted to brace for what was coming next.

Before moving, Cath explained her intended targets. "I'm tall enough to have several options for fighting back, but even if you're much shorter, you should be able to use one or more of these techniques. First, the intep stomp. This one is good in just about any shoes or even bare feet, but down right fun in heels."

She went through the motion of slamming her heel down on Chin's foot; careful not to hit hard. "That will often startle them enough to make them loosen their grip. Remember you can always do it more than once. Your heel is far tougher than the top of their foot, so they'll cave before you will."

"Please don't." Chin whined playfully from behind.

"Oh, come on cuz, don't be a baby." Kono laughed at him, making Grace giggle beside her.

"Yeah Chin, take it like a man." McGarrett teased. He could feel Danny's laughter vibrating through his chest where his partner leaned back against him. Steve had pulled his partner to sit in front of him when they were all finding their spots. Not usually one for public affection, the Seal just couldn't resist the chance to be close to him.

"I don't see you volunteering to let Catherine beat you up." The Hawaiian retaliated.

"That's because Kono called dibs on that honor, so I'm already spoken for." Steve stuck is tongue out at his friend.

"Okay boys, you're both beautiful." Danny mocked the men. "Now can we let Catherine finish the job?"

The woman in question laughed from her still restrained position as she imagined Chin's expression mirrored the one on Steve's face. "Thanks Danny. Now, as I was saying, you can always do the instep strike more than once." She hit a bit harder the second time making her aggressor yelp.

"Another option is a head strike. The back of your head is a lot harder than the assailant's nose. You really want to put some force behind it, lean forward and then slam your head back hard and fast." Knowing was coming, Chin leaned his head sideways in case she got a little too enthusiastic.

"I moved," he commented, "but typically you won't announced you're getting ready to do it, so the attacker wouldn't have the chance."

"One or both of those moves is pretty sure to make them lose their grip at least a bit. If they let go enough that you can get lose, then you run. If they don't let go completely, you go for the elbow to the kidney." Careful not to put any real force behind it, she demonstrated where to aim on Chin.

The man released his hold on her. "Trust me, even with those basic moves, you're likely get away."

As the afternoon progressed, Beth watched in awe at the abilities of the entire group. Of the bunch, she noticed Danny was probably the least comfortable with hand-to-hand combat, but he would be able to hold his own.

When the other three ganged up on Danny and Steve, she glanced down to see how Grace was handling it and was surprised to see her smiling widely. Seeming to sense her grandmother's eyes on her, she looked up. "Watch. This is always the best part."

Looking up, she watched the three aggressors circling the pair. Danny and Steve were back to back. Had she not been watching closely, she would never have believed it. Before anyone could get a hand on her eldest, the Seal had Kono and Catherine on the ground and Chin in a chokehold.

Looking back at Grace, she just mouthed, "Wow."

The little girl shook her head and giggled. "It gets better."

"What the hell, Steven. Are you ever going to let me defend myself? Every time we do this, you go all Super Seal Ninja on them and I never get to play. Every time!" Danny was in the Seal's face, hands flailing. "What the hell is it with you and your need to play Superman?"

The other three kicked back on the blankets watching the rant.

"Just because you can handle them yourself doesn't mean you can't let me help. We are partners, Steven. Partners work as a team. Partners do not have to take on every attacker themselves."

Having stood stoically through the first part of the rant, Steve finally broken into a grin that made Danny lose his train of thought every time.

"May I speak now?" The Seal tried not to laugh.

"Yes." The detective was too distracted to remember where he was in the rant.

"Good." Instead of defending himself, Steve wrapped his hand in Danny's hair and pulled him in for an all too brief kiss, remembering their audience.

Beth looked at the others as they all watched the scene in front of them. "Do they do this often?"

"Every time we spar." Kono laughed. "Though this time the boss's method of diffusing the rant was far more effective than usual. I wonder if Danny will ever realize that no matter how much Steve may intend to let him defend himself, when actually faced with an attack he just can't do it."

Beth smiled. She'd often worried about her son and his line of work, but seeing them all this afternoon, she realized that Kono was more right than she knew. Every single one of them was exceptionally talented and would use those skills to protect their ohana.

Danny and Steve finally sat down with the others. The entire task force and Catherine were all hot, sweaty, and far more relaxed than they'd been earlier. If felt good to work out some of the physical frustration they all felt; the pent up anger they all held toward Stan.

"That was awesome." Grace laughed. "Think I can learn to do that when I get older?"

The adults all laughed at her eager enthusiasm. "Gracie, something tells me you'll put the five us to shame by the time you're our age." Chin smiled. "After all, you have the benefit of learning from each of us."

Beth loved seeing the group together like this. "Why don't you kids go cool off?" She pointed toward the water. "I'll go grab us some drinks."

As Mama Williams made her way up the beach, Grace looked over the water longingly. She had her suit on under her clothes, but when she put it on earlier, she'd realized how bad the bruises looked and was hesitant to take the shirt and shorts off.

Sensing her unease, Danny and Steve were trying to figure out how to make her more comfortable, when Catherine interceded. Walking up to Grace, she pulled her own shirt off, revealing the massive bruise she'd mentioned earlier. Both men winced as it looked painful.

"Grace, did you see what I managed to do?" She angled so the little girl could see. "Lost my footing on the ship while we were out to sea and managed to bang myself up pretty bad."

The little girl looked up at her, in awe of the older woman's confidence.

"It's ugly, but it'll fade soon enough." Her eyes met Grace's. "I bet all of us have had some pretty nasty bruises before. We're all kinda used to it."

The Five-0 team quickly agreed, throwing out reminders of the multitude of bruises they'd all sported.

Grace smiled up at Catherine. She was smart enough to know what she was up to, but had to admit it helped. It reminded her that the bruises would fade, but even while they lingered she didn't have to hide them. Not here; not with her family.

Peeling out of her own shirt and shorts, Grace grabbed Catherine and Kono's hands and ran toward the water.

The men were left watching them for a moment. Steve was a bit surprised when Danny spoke. "I'm really glad Catherine decided to come. She and Kono are great examples for Grace, especially now."

"You're right. We can't protect her from everything, but with their help we can damn sure teach her that she doesn't have to be a victim." He was glad they were able to do something to help.

Looking down at his partner, Steve raised an eyebrow in challenge. Before Danny could question him, the Seal gave Danny's backside a quick squeeze before sprinting toward the water.

"Neanderthal!" The detective hollered before chasing after him.

Before Chin could follow, Beth appeared at his side. "I know there's a long way to go, but it's good to see them all smiling." She smiled at the man next to her. "You better go keep them from drowning each other."

Watching him join the others, she set the tray of drinks on the small table in the sand settled into one of the two chairs.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she pushed a few buttons before waiting for Paul to answer.

"Hello?" Her husband's voice came through the line.

"Hey there, handsome." She smiled when he picked up.

"How are things? I wish I was there with you." She could tell he missed her. The house in Jersey would be far to lonely for his liking.

"I wish you were here too." She watched the kids all playing in the water. "Paul, I talked to the boys earlier. It's time to sell the house."

He laughed. "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm completely sure. You see them together. It's everything we've ever wanted for Daniel. Things have changed since we came last time. This group isn't just a group of friends and coworkers anymore. They're family and they are all ready and willing to invite us right in."

They'd often talked about how much they missed the days of having a house full of people around every weekend. Things in Jersey just weren't the same when it was just the two of them to fill the big house.

"I'm glad to hear it. It's too lonely here."

"Do you want me to come home to help?" It would be a while before she was ready to leave Hawaii and her children to do it, but she didn't want to leave him to handle it all.

"No. I started getting quotes from movers right after you left. I suspected this might be the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back to get you to move."

She smiled into the phone. "Should have known you'd see this one coming. Well, get them scheduled then. We should have listings to start looking through tomorrow from Chin's cousin. He wasted no time getting us connected today."

"I look forward to seeing them." He'd be watching his email for them. "Hopefully we can find the right house quickly. I'll get things started to list this house too."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll email you the listings as soon as I have them."

"Excellent. Now what are you doing on the phone with me when you should be doing something with the boys and Grace. Give them all a big hug from me. I love you, Beth."

"Love you too! I'll be sure to pass along the hugs." Disconnecting the phone, she set it on the table next to the drinks before peeling down to her bathing suit and joining the rest in the ocean.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	21. Chapter 21

**Guardian**

A/N: Hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Please take a few seconds to leave a review and let me know what you think.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 21**

Placing the large dish of homemade lasagna on the table next to the salad and breadsticks, Beth smiled fondly at the looks of anticipation on everyone's faces.

"It smells divine, Mom." Steve looked up at her as she stood next to his chair.

Giving him a quick kiss on his head, she laughed and patted his shoulder. "Compliments will get you everywhere, Steven."

Taking her seat, she watched as everyone dug in. "So, I spoke with Grandpa Williams today." She'd waited until they were all together to give them the update.

"Is he going to visit, too?" Grace asked. Though the adults knew, they'd decided to wait to let her know until Beth had spoken with Paul.

"Actually, sweetheart, he's getting things wrapped up in New Jersey so we can officially move here. Depending on how quickly he can schedule the movers, it may take him a couple of weeks to get here, but he can't wait."

She could easily see that everyone at the table was delighted with the announcement. This wasn't Jersey, only of these children was technically hers, but the new family her eldest had found made Hawaii feel like home. She couldn't wait for Paul to see it. No matter what she said, you could never adequately describe what it was like in the midst of them.

Dinner was filled with lively conversation about what they wanted in their new house. She'd managed to sum it up into three key elements. It needed to be close to Steve's house, have a very large kitchen, and plenty of room for the entire family to come for dinner.

/

"Ready Catherine?" Kono asked as she gathered her things. Stopping to give Grace a hug, she leaned down. "We'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Hugging her adopted aunt, Grace whispered in her ear. "Can we practice more?"

Kono smiled at her. "Of course." The cop was happy to see she was enthusiastic about the training.

"Love you, Kono." The little girl let her head rest on the other woman's shoulder for a moment.

"Love you too, Gracie." Standing back up, she gave her boss a quick hug. "Give us a call when it's okay to come over."

The appointment with Dr. James was the following morning and no one wanted to intrude if she needed time with Danny and Steve. Even Beth had decided she would go out with Chin and his cousin to see some houses and start getting a feel for what the island offered.

After the last of the three walked out the door, Steve locked it behind them. It had been a long and eventful day and they were all tired.

"Gracie, how would you like it if I read you a bedtime story tonight? Your Daddy and Danno look like tired." She gave a pointed look to the two men. She was giving them a bit of time together knowing that their daughter was safe with Grandma. They'd barely had more than a few minutes alone since this morning on the beach and they deserved a bit of time without the threat of interruption.

"Can we ready Harry Potter?" Danny and Steve had bought the books a while ago, but they had just finished the other book they'd been reading so they could start the new series.

"As long as these two don't mind." Beth didn't want to ruin any plans they had.

"No worries there." Steve laughed. "We read the first one before we gave them to Grace, so we won't get behind."

The little girl smiled at her Daddy before explaining to her Grandma. "You have no idea how many times I've caught them reading my books, but it's fun because then we get to talk about them and they know what I'm talking about."

It had thrown the little girl the first time she caught Steve reading one of her books. She was used to Danno doing it, but was initially surprised that the Seal would read them just so he could talk to her about them.

Giving her Danno and Daddy both hugs and kisses, the little girl headed up the stairs to get ready for her shower.

Once she was out of range, Beth turned to the boys. "It's been a very long day for all of us. I hope you don't mind me commandeering bedtime, but I would like some time with my granddaughter and I think the two of you need some time with each other."

She gave both of the men a hug.

"Thanks Mom." Danny was too used to his mother to be embarrassed that she had knowingly maneuvered the evening so he could go enjoy time with his partner behind closed doors.

"Now, I'm going to finish a few things in the kitchen before I head up. You two should head up before she gets into the shower in case she needs to leave the door open." She shooed them up the stairs. "I'll fix breakfast in the morning after Steven has a chance to swim."

Reaching the top of the stairs, they saw Grace emerging from her bedroom. "We'll see you in the morning, Monkey."

Shutting the door to their bedroom behind him, Danny leaned back against it. Only the night before he was leaning against a different door wondering what life would be like if his mom was right.

Danny's breath hitched as the Seal pulled his shirt over his head and casually tossed it into the hamper. Steve without a shirt wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but never in a setting that implied so much intimacy. Closing his eyes, he let the image etch itself into his brain even as he tried to push back the insecurity that suddenly gripped him.

Turning around to see why his partner had stopped, Steve's breath caught as he saw him against the door, eyes closed. It felt like his heart could barely withstand the emotion running through him, but something in Danny's expression gave him pause.

Crossing the few steps back to his partner, he placed one hand on the door above his head. Letting the other hand gently caress his waist over the t-shirt he wore, the Seal leaned in to nuzzle his neck.

The Seal slipped his hand under the hem of the t-shirt, wanting to feel the heated skin underneath, but froze when the detective's hand suddenly knocked his away. Stepping back, he struggled to hide the hurt and rejection on his face.

"Danny? What's wrong?" After this morning, after everything today he couldn't believe his partner was pushing him away.

The shorter man's blue eyes finally met his, tears threatening to spill as he opened and closed his mouth seemingly unable to form the words.

"Please, Danny. Don't shut me out." The Seal stepped back toward him, leaving only inches between their bodies. His hand cupped his partner's neck, thumb brushing the tears away.

"Sorry babe. I just panicked for a second." Danny tried unsuccessfully to make it sound like no big deal.

"Panicked about what?" Steve racked his brain for something that would make his normally confident partner panic. "You know we're both in new territory here. We'll take it slow." He considered the possibility that Danny was spooked by what would eventually happen behind closed doors in this room.

Danny leaned into the Seal, hiding his face against his strong chest. "Taking my shirt off." He mumbled against the bare skin.

"Danno, you aren't making much sense here. I've seen you without your shirt on. Hell, I saw you without it on the beach this afternoon." He'd never seen any reason to complain about the view.

"I'm not like you, Steven. I don't have the hard-muscled body of a Greek god." Steve smirked at the comparison. "I'm shorter, I'm hairier, and I definitely do not look like I've been sculpted from marble. And yes, I know you've seen me without my shirt on, but somehow here, now, the realization that I can in no way hold a candle to you just made me panic."

Steve pulled him closer, wrapping his arms around him, the smirk now gone. While he took some measure of pride in the body he worked hard for, he'd never considered that it would make Danny insecure.

"Listen to me. I love every inch of you, but Danny it's not just your body I fell in love with."

Still holding him with one arm, the other hand grasped Danny's hair. Pulling his head back, Steve leaned down to capture his lips. He suspected he would need to show him, more than tell him, just how much he loved his body and was more than willing to rise to the challenge.

The detective responded to the kiss, no matter his insecurities, he found it impossible not to respond to the feel of Steve's lips against his own.

Feeling the shorter man relax into his embrace, Steve broke kiss briefly. "Danny, I've seen you without your shirt on and I'd very much like to see you without anything one. Just trust me. I've got you." He whispered against the reddened lips. "I love you."

Sometime later, the men were freshly showered and dressed in sleep pants and t-shirts as they drifted off to sleep. Though both would have preferred less clothing, they also anticipated the potential need to reach Grace quickly.

/

Steve bolted straight up in bed, breathing labored, sheen of sweat covering his face and neck. His eyes searched the room frantically before he became fully aware of where he was.

Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, his head fell into his hands as his heart raced. He tried to quiet his breathing, focusing on slow deep breathes so he wouldn't wake Danny.

He glanced at the clock, frowning at the display reading 1:30 in the morning. It wasn't close enough to morning for him to sneak out for a swim.

Hearing movement behind him, he turned and found piercing blue eyes staring up at him from the pillow. He'd already woken Danny.

"I'm sorry." He started to apologize, but was cut off.

"No. No apologies. Come here." The detective opened his arms to his partner. He knew Steve sometimes had problems with nightmares, but had never realized just how intense they must be. He'd woken before Steve when he'd starting tossing, mumbling in his sleep, but was unsure how to wake the other man without sparking a violent reaction before the Seal realized where he was.

Resting his head against Danny's chest, Steve felt arms wrap around him. "It's okay, babe. I've got you." Tears pricked the detective's eyes. He suspected that in putting himself so far out there to help Grace recover, the Seal had pried some of his own wounds open.

Steve reached his hand up to rest over Danny's heart. The soft rhythmic beating lulled him back to sleep.

Two hours later, Steve's eyes flew open, searching for the threat that had woken him from a dead sleep. It took him only a second to recognize Danny's sleeping form spooned against his side.

He'd no more than sorted out the lack of actual threat in the room than he realized what woke him, a muffled cry from Grace's room.

Slipping out of bed, he heard Danny mumble as he approached the door.

"You okay, babe? Where ya goin'?" The detective's voice was still thick with sleep.

"I heard Grace." Danny immediately sat up, starting to get out of bed. "Stay put," Steven motioned for him to stay, "I'll bring her back with me." They'd never all fit in the smaller bed in her room and after waking up twice in one night, he suspected he and Danny would both sleep better knowing she was safe.

"K." The detective conceded and Steve heard him straightening the bed as he entered the hall.

Hearing another cry from Grace's room, he hurried toward her door, only to stop short at the sound of footsteps down the hall. Spotting mom, he smiled. "Go back to sleep. I've got her."

She nodded, a smile of understanding on her face, before disappearing back into her room.

Pushing Grace's door open, the Seal saw her small body tossing and turning as another whimpered cry escaped her.

"No. No. Daddy, where are you?"

His heard broke at her plea. In three long strides he was beside her bed, reaching to gather her into his arms.

Holding her close, he whispered in her ear. "I'm right here, Grace. Daddy's right here."

Her small fist wrapped itself in his t-shirt as she sobbed into his chest.

"It's okay sweetheart. I've got you. Daddy's right here." He continued murmuring quietly as he retraced his steps back to bed, back to Danno.

Sliding back into bed, Steve carefully laid the still sobbing girl between him and Danny as she still clung to his shirt.

The shorter man reached out and stroked her back, rubbing small circles as he often did when she was upset.

"It's okay, Monkey. We're here. We've got you." He added his soothing voice to Steve's whispered words.

After several long moments, the tears subsided and her breathing slowed. One hand still grasped the Seal's shirt as her head rested on his strong arm.

Danny found her other hand and wrapped it in his own. His eyes met Steve's over her small head. The mirrored look of pain and anger at what she was going through eventually calmed to determination and love.

They would see her through this. They would get her through the pain and fear. They would help her find her way back to a good place.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.

For the much longer version of what the boys were up to behind closed doors check out the third installment of Guardian: Love Explored.


	22. Chapter 22

**Guardian**

A/N: I just realized it's taken 22 chapters to make it through roughly 72 hours of story. I'm sure the pace will eventually accelerate some, but at this point, it feels trying to rush through wouldn't do them justice. Hope you don't mind.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 22**

As the first hint of morning crept through the window, Steve gazed at the sight in his bed. Grace and Danno were curled up beside him, both turned to face him. Grace's small hand was curled inside his own as Danny's wrapped around his forearm both maintaining their connection to him even in their sleep.

He could watch the two of them for hours. It brought a feeling of contentment that the Seal was unfamiliar with; a feeling of belonging that went deeper than he'd felt with his Seal unit, the one place he'd ever truly felt like he belonged.

Danny's blue eyes cracked open as if he'd felt Steve staring at him.

"Mornin' babe." He whispered quietly. "You look entirely to awake for it to be so stupidly early."

Steve just smiled back at him. Their definitions of stupidly early varied by a few hours.

"Not that I don't love waking up to your smiling face, but you should go get your workout." Seeing his partner was about to argue, Danny raised an eyebrow in challenge. "I will not let you start neglecting your well-being. It was a rough night and it's likely to be an even rougher day." The whispered rant started.

"Okay. Okay." Steve leaned over, placing a gentle kiss on Grace's forehead before giving Danny a quick peck.

Slipping out of bed, Steve disappeared into the closet to grab his trunks before heading to the bathroom to change. Emerging a few moments later, he leaned against the bathroom door to watch the sleeping forms for a minute. He wanted to be able to remember mornings like this forever.

Afraid that Danny would catch him lingering, the Seal finally snuck out of the room and down the stairs.

Ducking into the kitchen, he was surprised to see a towel neatly folded on the island, a small piece of paper resting on top.

'Steven – Enjoy your swim. There's a cold water bottle in the fridge for you. See you at breakfast. Love, Mom.'

The Seal stared at the neat handwriting for a moment, blinking back the tears that blurred his vision. Unfamiliar emotions welled up inside of him.

Opening the fridge, he found the water bottle sitting right in front waiting for him. Grabbing a pen, he stared at mom's note for a moment longer before adding his own distinctive writing underneath.

Two minutes later, Steve stood with his feet in the water, stretching his long arms over his head. The sun was still low, but the water was warm and inviting.

Jogging further into the water, he eventually dove through the surface. Propelling his body forward, away from the shore, the exertion felt good.

Stroke by stroke, the Seal thought about the situation with Grace. Yesterday he'd been able to do at least one thing to help her cope with her fear, but he hated that he couldn't just fix it all for her.

He knew she was incredibly strong, she got that from Danno, but no matter how well she coped, they could never erase what she saw; never reclaim the childhood innocence she lost that day. No child should ever have to witness a scene like that.

The Seal knew what it was like to see things you spent the rest of your life wishing you could forget; spending the rest of your life wishing you could have changed the outcome. His nightmare had brought some of those moments crashing back down on him last night.

He needed to go see Dr. Thompson soon. In trying to figure out how to help Grace, he was surfacing painful memories of his own. Maybe setting the example was one of the best things he could do; reinforce what he'd told her the morning before.

/

Steve had been out for about forty minutes when Beth's footsteps in the hall woke Grace. Realizing she wasn't in her bed, it took only a few seconds to recognize Danno's arm wrapped around her.

"Danno, why am I in here?" She questioned as a she snuggled a bit closer to her father. She didn't immediately remember the nightmare or Steve coming to get her.

Squeezing her closer, he spoke quietly. "Steve brought you in last night. He heard you having a nightmare."

She squirmed around to face him, curling into a ball with her knees tucked against her chest, the Navy PT shirt seeming to swallow her whole. "I'm sorry Danno."

Reaching up, he brushed a lock of hair from her yes. "You don't need to be sorry, Monkey. Hopefully being able to talk to Dr. James today will help, but I think nightmares are pretty normal right now." He reassured her. He debating mentioning Steve's nightmare, but decided that bit of information wasn't really his to share.

"But I woke you and Daddy up." She hated feeling as if she was being difficult or getting in the way. She wasn't clueless to what grandma had been up to the night before. Grownups needed time alone sometime and she didn't want to be in the way.

"I'll let you in on a secret." Danny whispered conspiratorially. "I think Steve is trying to making up for all the snuggling, hugs, and kisses he's missed out on. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind one bit."

Grace smiled back. She and Danno had talked about Steve before, even before he was Uncle Steve. The little girl had asked her father why the Seal always seemed a little sad.

Not sure how to explain the complex psyche of his partner, he'd simply told her that Steve didn't get enough hugs. He'd had no idea just how seriously she would take those words. From that day on, Grace had hugged the Seal as often as the opportunity presented itself.

She was convinced her father had been right because the more she hugged Steve, the happier he seemed. Eventually the hugs led to them all spending more time together, to the Seal carrying her around all the time so she could wrap her little arms around him whenever she wanted. That led to hours of conversation and exploration around the island; those hugs eventually turned Danno's partner into Uncle Steve and eventually Uncle Steve became Daddy.

"Is Daddy swimming?" Grace knew he usually started the day in the water. When they stayed on weekends, sometimes she would sneak out after him before Danno woke. She'd curl up in his towel in one of the chairs and wait for him to come out of the water. She loved mornings with Daddy on the beach; loved it when her Danno would come find them, grumbling that his Neanderthal partner was corrupting his little angel.

"Yeah. I kicked him out of bed a while ago."

Grace laughed as she sat up. "I'm gonna go get dressed and help Grandma make breakfast. You should go make sure he gets out of the water in time to eat."

"Yes, ma'am" He laughed as she scurried out of the room. It warmed his heart to see just how much Grace loved Steve. He adored them both and it was easy to see just how good they were for each other.

Getting out of bed, Danny quickly threw on shorts and a t-shirt before heading downstairs.

As expected, mom was in the kitchen, though she was absorbed in the small piece of paper in her hands that it took her a moment to realize he was there.

When she did look up, the tears in her eyes worried him. "Mom, what's wrong?" He walked over and wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Daniel, how many times in your life have I set your things out for you before bed, leaving you a little note just to remind you that I love you; that I was your mom and would always take care of you?"

He wasn't sure where this line of questioning was going, but went with it. "Too many to count. You did it for all of us, even for dad." Little things like that were commonplace in the Williams house.

"Did you ever feel the need to leave a thank you note?"

Danny stepped back and considered the question. "No. Suppose I should have, but it was just one of those things that you did. It was one of those things that reminded us that no matter what you were always in our corner. Am I in trouble for not leaving thank you notes?" He was thoroughly confused about why this was suddenly an issue.

Holding out the paper she'd been staring at when he entered, she shook her head. "No son, you aren't in trouble, but as a mother…" She couldn't find the right words to describe how she felt. "As a mother, it makes me incredibly sad to think that little things like setting out a towel, filling a water bottle, and leaving him a note are that significant to him."

Danny looked down to find his partner's writing beneath a note his mother had clearly left.

'Mom – Thanks for so much for thinking about me. I'm not used to people doing stuff like this and it means a lot. I love you. – Steve'

Now the tears pricked his eyes. The Seal was so strong, was always there for everyone he cared about and sometimes it was easy to forget that in so many ways he'd been so closed off for so long that normal things just weren't normal to him.

"Honestly Daniel, if I hadn't already made up my mind to move here, that would have done it for me. He needs to learn what it really means to be part of a family that loves him."

Danny pulled her to him again. "I know the feeling Mom. I used to joke that he wasn't held enough as a child, but I'm really beginning to think he just wasn't held enough period."

Neither adult heard Grace enter the room until she spoke. "Does that mean we all need to hug Daddy more?" She didn't know what had started the conversation, but she was more than willing to help with that mission. She loved hugs, especially her Daddy's hugs.

"Yes, Gracie. I think we need to make sure he is well and truly introduced to what it means to be a part of the Williams clan." Beth answered. "Your Daddy just needs to learn what it's like to have people that love him and want to take care of him.

The detective laughed. "Good thing he likes to exercise or he'd quickly stop fitting into his clothes." Danny knew that one of his mother's favorite forms of showing affection involved home cooked meals. "On that note, Grace was going to help with breakfast while I went out to make sure Super Seal didn't swim through it."

Beth gave Grace a hug, she loved being able to cook with her granddaughter. "What do you think about omelets this morning?"

The little girl gave her approval of the plan and Danny headed out to retrieve his partner.

Sitting in one of the chairs facing the beach, the chairs where he'd enjoyed many evenings with Steve, he simply enjoyed the view.

He had to admit, watching the Seal in the water was rather awe-inspiring. The power and grace he exhibited in what Danny sometimes swore was his native environment was truly something to behold.

Though he was loath to admit it, there was something very calming about sitting here. He was starting to think more mornings should start this way; well maybe without the Seal making his mother cry.

About the time he was considering the need to try and actually to catch the wayward Seal and drag him onto dry land, Steve emerged from the water.

Danny gasped. He'd have to rethink his earlier idea, he wasn't sure his heart could take this sight on a daily basis. Steve looked like he belong on the cover of some stupid fitness magazine. Shaking the water from his hair, drops streamed down his chest before reaching his low-slung trunks. Of course, the Seal was oblivious to the picture he presented.

Danny knew the second his partner spotted him as the disarming smile spread across his face, his eyes lighting up.

"I could get used to seeing you here waiting for me in the morning." Steve grinned as he approached and grabbed the towel only to have it snatched out of his hands.

"Allow me." Steve's eyes met Danny's as the shorter man started drying his chest.

"Danny." The single word was the only warning he received before Steve's lips crushed against his own. He'd have to offer to dry him off more often if this was the way he was thanked.

The detective laced his hands around Steve's neck, not caring that his shirt was getting wet as their chests pressed together.

When the Seal finally lifted is head to breath, he smiled down. "Yes. I could definitely get used to this." He placed another gentler kiss on Danny's lips. "I love you." Reaching up, he took the towel from Danny's hands.

"Maybe you should let me finish or me we have to revisit our spot down the beach before breakfast." He smirked.

Relinquishing the towel, Danny slid back into the chair. "While that idea has serious merit, I'm afraid Grace will be out here to find us if we don't appear from breakfast soon. They're making omelets."

As if on cue, Steve's stomach growled. Quickly drying off, he grabbed the bottle of water and downed half of it in one long drink before reaching for his partner's hand to haul him out of the chair.

"Let's go babe. I'm hungry." Steve grinned.

Unable to resist, Danny pulled the Seal into a firm embrace before he could start walking. The often stoic man was going to have to get used to hugs, lots and lots of hugs.

When they finally made it to the house, Gracie met them at the front door and wrapped her arms around Steve's waist, not caring that his trunks were still wet.

"I helped Grandma make breakfast, Daddy." She squealed as he lifted her into his arms where he could better return her hug. With her arms now wrapped around his neck, she smiled down at Danno before looking back to Steve. "I love you Daddy."

She caught the thumbs up Danno gave her out of the corner of her eye.

"I love you too, Gracie." He wondered if he would ever get used to just how much he loved the little girl. "You suppose I should go change so I don't drip all over the kitchen?"

She nodded and laughed as he set her back on her feet. "You better hurry, it's almost ready."

Quickly kissing the top of her head, Steve ran up the stairs. Grace turned and wrapped her arms around her father. "I love you too, Danno."

Having heard the exchange from the kitchen, Beth smiled. Hawaii was definitely home now and she couldn't wait for Paul to get here.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd gleefully line up to contribute to the Seal hugging campaign.


	23. Chapter 23

**Guardian**

A/N: For the review that asked, for the sake of simplicity Charlie doesn't exist in this story. I'd debating writing him in and having Rachel's mother take him, but you might understand why I opted against that plan after you read this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 23**

Danny entered the kitchen with Grace to find that the pair had been busy. There were plates with hot omelets already on the table along with juice. Turning, she handed him a cup of coffee already fixed just the way he liked it.

By the time Steve made it downstairs, his coffee was already waiting by his plate. Beth and Danny both noticed the look in his eyes at the small gesture.

Before he could sit, Beth reached out and pulled him into a hug, squeezing as tightly as she could. Though she hated that the affection always seemed to surprise him; it warmed her heart to see that he was willing to accept it now.

She still remembered the first time they'd met. Knowing how much the Seal meant to her son, even then, she'd given him a hug. It had thrown her when he'd completely frozen at her touch as if something so simple was foreign to him. Danny had explained later that only with Grace did simple affection seem too even come close to natural for him; even the other members of the task force treaded carefully in those days.

Once they all sat down to eat, the four dug into their food. They all enjoyed the chance to have breakfast as a family and discuss the day's plans. Today the adults had agreed to forego any specific plans for the afternoon until they knew how Grace faired at her appointment.

"Are you ready to meet Dr. James today?" Steve asked between bites.

Finishing the bite in mouth, Grace looked up at him as she considered the question. "I think so. You guys will be with me, right?"

The Seal looked to Danny before answering, making sure he didn't want to take over. "I haven't met Dr. James, but from what I know she will probably want to talk to the three of us together, Danno and I together, and just you while we're there."

The detective had made it abundantly clear that Steve would not be excluded from the sessions in any way. If the doctor wanted to speak to her father, she was going to get both of them.

He could see the hint of trepidation in her eyes. "It's okay to be nervous, Gracie. I was the first time I met Dr. Thompson, but they are there to help us. You can tell Dr. James anything and she'll be able to help you work through it; even things that you might not want to share with Danno and me."

Everyone ate in silence for a stretch as she thought through what he'd said.

"I'm actually going to call Dr. Thompson after breakfast. I had a nightmare last night before you did. I know he'll be able to me deal with what I was feeling and the bad memories. Talking to him always helps make them go away faster."

The Seal was so focused on Grace that he didn't see the expressions of pure love and pride from the Williams adults. The pair were well aware that he typically wouldn't admit things like that over breakfast, but was trying to put the little girl at ease by setting a good example. That he was almost taking steps to take care of his own well-being made them equally happy.

Her fears around the impending doctor's visit dealt with, the rest of breakfast was spent with Grace and Beth rehashing their view of the sparring matches from the day before. Though he hated the idea of either of them ever being attacked, Danny was thrilled to see they were both looking forward to more lessons.

Glancing up at the clock, Steve decided it was about time for him to get ready for the trip to Dr. James so he wouldn't have to rush at the last minute. Standing up, he started to clear his dishes.

"Just leave them, Steven. Chin and his cousin won't be here for almost two hours, so I have plenty of time to clean up before I go." They'd scheduled things so she would easily still be gone with Grace and the boys returned home.

"But…" He started to argue.

"No buts, Steven. You boys need to go get ready." She shooed him away from the table.

"I'll help as soon as I brush my teeth." Grace offered up. She'd already dressed for the appointment.

Conceding that he wasn't going to win against Mom, the Seal turned to head upstairs. He needed to rinse the saltwater off and put on something better than cargo shorts and an old Navy t-shirt.

Danny gave his mother a quick hug before following his partner up the stairs. By the time he shut the door to the bedroom, Steve was holding his phone to his ear already speaking Dr. Thompson.

"Hey, doc. No, she's doing okay. We're headed to go see Dr. James this morning. Really appreciate you helping with that."

Danny headed into the closet, trying to give him some semblance of privacy for the conversation.

"I just wanted to see if I could get on your schedule soon. Had another nightmare last night and I don't want to fall apart on them."

The detective hated to hear the frustration in the Seal's voice. He didn't know all the details of the nightmares, couldn't know thanks to security clearances, but he knew they were an unwelcome to reminder to Steve that he wasn't really Super Seal.

"Thanks doc. I'll see you tomorrow." Danny breathed a sigh of relief that the good doctor was clearing giving up part of his weekend to expedite the appointment. Of course, given that Danny hadn't known about the appointments until two days ago, he suspected that the doctor often kept odd office hours for his partner.

Grabbing a pair of slacks and a shirt, the detective came back out of the closet just in time to hear the water start in the shower. Checking the clock, Danny decided he had time to distract the Seal for a bit before they had to get dressed.

Emerging from the bathroom a while later, both men appeared considerably calmer as they started getting dressed.

"Dr. Thompson said he could see me tomorrow at 11:30. We'll eat lunch at his office, so you guys won't need to wait on me." Steve updated Danny on the details of the conversation he hadn't heard.

Buttoning his shirt, the detective crossed to where Steve stood, busy fastening his black cargo pants. He hoped this conversation wasn't going to bring all the tension back into those beautifully sculpted shoulders.

Danny covered the Seal's hand with his own. "I'm glad you called him, babe. I'm here to listen anytime you want to talk, but I know he knows details that you can't tell me. Just remember there are people here that care. Just because we're all worried about Grace doesn't mean we don't see that you're hurting too."

Steve forced himself to meet Danny's eyes. "I know, Danno. I know I don't always act like it, but I do know."

Danny's cell phone ringing from the pocket of his shorts startled them both. "Rachel's mother." He knew it from the ringtone and wasn't particularly enthused about this conversation. He and Rachel had their difference, but he and his ex-mother-in-law had never gotten along. Danny was never good enough in her eyes and she loved to remind him of that.

"Detective Williams." He answered the phone somewhat formally as he began pacing.

"Daniel." She sounded irritated.

"Mrs. Bradley, I'm sorry for your loss. HPD mentioned you were handling the funeral arrangements, will you be arriving soon."

"My flight lands in Honolulu at 1:50 this afternoon. Services will be at the Immaculate Conception Church Tuesday at three before I bring her back to England. I want you to bring Grace and her things to the Halekulani at four so she can stay with me."

Steve was standing close enough to hear both ends of the conversation and placed a restraining hand on his partner's shoulder. "Stay calm, Danny. We have to deal with her while she's here and she's going to want to see Grace." He whispered.

Taking a deep breath, he nodded at Steve. Fighting the urge to tell Rachel's mother to fuck off, he attempted civility. "I appreciate that you want to see Grace while you are here and you are more than welcome to visit as much as you'd like, but I am not going to drop her off at a hotel with you. No offense, but you've only seen her once in the last two years. Right now, she needs as much stability as possible."

He could hear her indignant huff through the phone. Mrs. Dianne Bradley was not used to being denied. "We'll see about that."

"There isn't much to see about it." Danny tried to keep his voice level. "I am her father. It is my job to look out for her best interests and that is exactly what I'm doing. Now, if you don't mind, we have an appointment to keep."

"This conversation is not over, Daniel. We will discuss this further when I arrive."

Disconnecting the call, Danny sagged into Steve's waiting arms. "Why do I feel like that was about more than Grace staying at the hotel with her?"

The Seal held him tighter. "Whatever it is she's up to, we'll figure it out together." He shared the suspicion that Rachel's mother meant more than just her daughter's body when she said she was bringing her back to England. Could the woman really be delusional enough to think that Danny would let her waltz off with his only daughter?

Finishing getting ready, Danny managed to calm himself down. Steve was right. They would figure things out. Rachel's mom had no right to take Grace away.

"You ready?" The detective watched his partner where he stared out the window.

"You head down. I'm gonna make a quick call to Governor Denning and I'll be right behind you."

"Really think we need to involve him?" Danny was surprised that Steve was ready to bring Denning in before trouble actually landed on their laps.

"Not taking any chances, Danno. He said to call if we needed anything at all from him and I'm going to hope he meant it."

Danny reached up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you downstairs." He started toward the door. "Think we should tell Grace about the impending visit?"

"Yeah, the doctor might be helpful in navigating this one." The detective nodded as he disappeared out the door.

Pulling his phone out, Steve punched the buttons to call the governor and waited for him to answer.

"Commander McGarrett, how is Grace?" The politician sounded genuinely concerned.

"She's hanging in there. She's got Danny's fight, so she'll make it through. We're actually about to head out for the first session with a therapist." He wanted Denning to know that they were taking her welfare seriously.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, assuming you didn't just call to say hello, what can I do for you today? The press aren't hounding you are they?" He sounded irritated at that idea.

"No sir, we haven't seen them yet. Although we've been lying low. It's not the press I'm worried about. We just received a call from Rachel's mother, Dianne Bradley. She'll be arriving this afternoon and staying at the Halekulani. She wasn't pleased with Danny's refusal to drop Grace off to stay at the hotel with her."

"Tough shit for her. The last thing that little girl is to be jerked around less than a week after watching her mother get killed." Steve's eyebrows shot up at the unexpected outburst.

"Well sir, I'm afraid that may be exactly what she's planning. She didn't come out and say it, but I suspect she may try to take Grace back to England with her." The Seal waited for Denning's reaction.

"Like hell she will. You keep me posted on everything that happens with her. I'll make a few phone calls and make sure the appropriate parties are prepared to intercede if needed. No Hawaiian judge in their right mind will take that little girl away from her father and send her to a foreign country."

Steve let out the breath he'd been holding. "Thank you, Governor. We appreciate your assistance."

"Call me after you speak to her again and let me where things stand."

"Will do, sir." McGarrett disconnected the call. That had actually gone better than he'd hoped. If Rachel's mother thought she was going to come whisk her granddaughter away to England without a fight she would be sorely disappointed.

/

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.

You know the drill, if you want to know just what Danny did to distract Steve go check out chapter 4 of Guardian: Love Explored.


	24. Chapter 24

**Guardian**

A/N: At last, they've made it to see Dr. James.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 24**

Pulling into the parking lot of Dr. James's practice, Steve parked the Camaro right in front glad that the odd schedule for the visit meant no one else was here.

Danny led the way into the building, it didn't escape his notice that the Seal hovered behind Grace looking like he was ready to shield her from some invisible threat. Honestly, he couldn't blame him. They were both feeling rather overprotective and this was a new and unfamiliar location.

A well-dressed, petite, blonde woman looked up from the receptionist's desk as they entered. Rising, she held out her hand as she approached. "I'm Dr. Monica James. You must be Detective Williams, Commander McGarrett, and Grace."

"Ma'am." Steve nodded.

She gave the men each a firm handshake before squatting down so she was just below eye level with Grace. "It's nice to meet you." She shook the little girl's hand gently.

Circling passed them; she flipped the lock on the door. "I'm not usually here on weekends so no one else should be stopping by." She noticed McGarrett's shoulder relax only slightly.

While she'd never met any of the task force members, the doctor had studied up over the last few days. Based on what she knew, minimizing any potential threat to her patient's safety would go a long way to making the visit easier on all of them.

"Why don't you follow me?" Scanning the ID clipped to her side, she held the door to the rest of the office space open. Catching the surprised look from the Seal as he passed, she quietly explained. "I deal with all matters of child and family counseling and take steps to ensure my patients feel safe when they are with me."

He nodded in understanding. Angry husbands and such storming into a session would likely be disconcerting to their victims.

Walking in the midst of the family, Dr. James gestured to a brightly colored, kid friendly area with a variety of games and tables covered with paper and crayons.

"Grace, if it's okay with you, I'd like to talk to these two for a few minutes first." While speaking, she led the girl toward one of the tables.

"Okay." They'd told her to expect this.

"While we talk, I'd like you to draw me a picture of your family. Can you do that for me?" The doctor gestured to the necessary supplies.

Pulling out a chair, Grace grabbed a piece of paper to start. "Yes, ma'am."

Returning to where the men stood, Dr. James waited silently for a moment, letting them see that the little girl was settled before guiding them toward her office.

Shutting the door behind them, she took her seat behind the desk as they sat in the chairs opposite her.

"I understand from my conversation with Detective Williams that you, Commander McGarrett, will be fully involved in all matters involving Grace. Is this correct?"

Amidst the research she'd done, she was surprised to find quite a bit of speculation that the head of Five-0 was involved with his partner though nothing was confirmed.

"Yes, ma'am. It is. Please call me Steve." Steve answered with a disarming smile.

She suspected Grace's family picture would likely help clarify the roles of the two men in front of her. Though she was tempted to ask, McGarrett was just scary enough that she couldn't bring herself to come right out and ask.

Danny chuckled quietly. He could imagine the doctor was trying to piece together the puzzle of their little family without coming right out and asking if they were gay.

"And just call me Danny, Dr. James. As I we discussed on the phone, Steve will be involved in every step of Grace's recovery." He reached out and clasped the Seal's hand. "Our family is fully committed to helping her in any way we can."

Smiling at the couple, the doctor wondered how much the influence of the military man would affect her ability to get the little girl to talk.

The next several minutes were spend bringing the doctor up to speed on what had occurred Monday, based the information from both Stan and Grace, and how their daughter was faring.

Before they wrapped up, Danny brought up the phone call from Rachel's mother and her demands.

"I don't want to prevent her from seeing Grace, but at the same time, I'm not comfortable with the idea of leaving my daughter with a woman that she barely knows. Not to mention potential threat implied by her words."

The doctor was saddened to hear that the little girl's grandmother would resort to such behavior at a time like this; though she imagined her own grief at her daughter's sudden death might have driven some of the behavior.

"Would you like to discuss this with Grace here?" Since he brought it up, she suspected they were open to her assistance.

"Yes. I want her to be prepared to deal with her grandmother and Rachel's funeral, but I don't want to make her worry." Clearly, the pending discussion was stressing Danny out.

Dr. James nodded her head. "Why don't I show you two to the waiting area? After Grace and I talk for a while, I'll have the two of you join us. We can broach the subject of the funeral and Mrs. Bradley then."

The three rose and she led them to a comfortable waiting area furnished with a variety of magazines and a few small tables for kids to draw.

Steve sat on one of the two couches, resting one elbow on the arm and running his hand through his hair, he stretched the other across the back.

Danny stared at the door where the doctor had retreated for a moment before turning to face his partner. Keyed up by the looming threat of his ex-mother-in-law he wasn't sure he could sit still; however, the space next to Steve looked so inviting. Slipping onto couch, he let himself lean into the Seal's warm body.

"It'll be okay Danny. There's no way we're letting her take our daughter." The words held such conviction that the detective had no choice but to believe them.

/

"Grace, is it okay if I sit with you?" Usually she would take her patient into one of the other rooms, but with no one else in the building she decided to stay at the table for now.

"Sure." The little girl looked up at her and smiled sweetly.

Dr. James pulled a chair up next to her where she could clearly see the picture Grace had drawn. She was surprised to see so many people in the picture of her family. It made her happy to see it since far too many children of the children she saw were so alone that a family picture may only include one other person.

"Can you tell me about the people in the picture? Are they all your family?"

"That's Danno." She pointed to her a blond man with a badge. "And that's Daddy holding me." She pointed to the taller man standing next to her father. "Daddy's bigger so he can carry me around easier than Danno can."

Dr. James smiled at the little girl. "They both look pretty strong to me."

Grace giggled. "They are, but the view is better from up there."

"So who are the other people?" There were five other figures in the picture, including one floating above them with wings.

"That's Grandma Williams, Uncle Chin, Aunt Kono, and Aunt Catherine." From her quick research on Five-0 the doctor recognized two of the names.

"Are you very close to the people your father works with?"

"We're ohana." Grace looked her straight in the eyes and answered as if that explained everything and the doctor supposed in many ways it did.

"What about this one?" She pointed to the winged woman, strongly suspecting the answer.

"That's Mommy. I know she's probably watching us from heaven now." Grace's voice cracked slightly as she spoke.

Reaching to the other end of the able, Dr. James grabbed a small box of tissues just to be prepared. "Do you miss your mom?"

The little girl nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "Yes." She accepted a tissue and wiped at her eyes. "She didn't deserve what he did to her."

Wrapping a comforting arm around the little girl, the doctor let her cry for a while before attempting further conversation.

"Grace, I need to ask you some questions and I want you to be honest with me, but first I need to know if you're comfortable talking to me. I know sometimes it can be weird talking to someone you don't really know."

"It's okay, Daddy told me about how he talks to Dr. Thompson." The doctor tried not to cringe. Having a Navy Seal as her example on how to interact with a therapist could lead to a very restricted conversation.

Nearly two hours later, Dr. James was quite impressed with how open Grace was with her. She'd told her all about being locked in the bathroom for the two nights; how she knew Steve would come get her. She talked about the nightmares, about how Daddy always saved her from them. She filled the doctor in on self-defense training and how it would make her stronger so she didn't have to be scared all the time.

"Grace, I'm going to go talk to Danny and Steve for a few minutes and then we'll all come back in here to talk a little more, okay?" She waited until the girl nodded before rising.

Finding the two men talking quietly on the couch, Steve's arm wrapped around Danny, she knocked on the doorframe to avoid startling them.

"How did it go?" Steve asked as they rose.

"Honestly, I am quite impressed with how she's doing. It's going to take time for her to come fully to terms with the violent nature of her mother's death and witnessing it, but she's coping tremendously well. I believe the support system she has in her ohana is playing a large role in her recovery."

Neither man looks surprised at the reference to their ohana. Any length conversation with Grace was bound to include talk about them.

"I will admit I was a bit apprehensive when she told me she was okay talking to me because her Daddy told her about talking to Dr. Thompson."

Steve smiled timidly at her before speaking. "I've come to value my time with Dr. Thompson. I wanted her to have the opportunity to reap the same benefits from her time with you."

Placing a reassuring hand on his forearm, she smiled back. "Thank you. It certainly makes my job easier. I must say it's very reassuring to see someone like you advocating for therapy, even if it's only to your family. I wish more of our service members and law enforcement were comfortable doing so."

"Thank you, ma'am. There is very little I wouldn't do for her." Meeting his eyes, Dr. James didn't doubt him at all.

"As far as things going forward, I'd like to continue seeing her twice a week for the next few weeks. Given your profiles on the island, I'm opening to doing Wednesdays at 5:30 since my last patient is usually gone by five and the same time as today on Saturdays if that works for you." She wanted them to feel comfortable coming and having other people around wasn't likely to help.

"Yes, we can do that." Danny answered after a quick confirming glance to his partner.

"Otherwise, keep doing what you're doing. The self-defense training was an amazing idea. I might have to borrow that one for some of my other patients. You and the other primary figures in her life appear to be doing a wonderful job of balancing letting her grieve with helping her move forward." She dug in her pocket and produced two cards. "My cell phone is listed on that, so if you need to reach me at any time between appointments I'm only a phone call away."

Accepting the cards, the men both breathed a sigh of relief. It was reassuring to hear they hadn't screwed up with Grace's recovery.

"Shall we do finish up so you three can go home. I'd imagine you didn't plan on spending your entire day here." It was already after eleven.

They followed her down the hall as Danny answered. "We'd stay all month if it helped."

Rejoining Grace, the men were relieved to see her smiling up at them. The doctor gestured to a collection of more comfortable chairs in one corner. "Why don't we go sit over there and talk for a bit."

Not surprisingly, Steve and Danny seated themselves on either side of their daughter.

"Grace, there are a couple more things that we want to talk about while you're here." The doctor started them off before looking to Danny to see if he wanted to explain.

"Monkey, Grandma Bradley called this morning. She is flying in for your mom's funeral and will be here this afternoon." Grace didn't show any reaction to this news. "She wants to see you while she's here." He hesitated.

"Is she going to come see at home?" She sounded a bit nervous.

"Possibly. She asked if you wanted to stay with her while she's in town." Danny softened the woman's actual demand.

"But I don't want to go away. I want to stay with you and Daddy." Tears welled in her eyes as she looked nervously between the men. "Please don't make me leave."

Dr. James watched the scene unfolding.

"Gracie, we're not going to make you stay at the hotel." Danny responded as both he and Steve reached for her small hands.

"Would you like it if she came to spend some time at the house during the days?" The Seal asked. "Or maybe we could go visit her together at the hotel."

"You won't leave me?" Her voice was still slightly panicked.

Although she wasn't surprised at her patient not wanting to stay at the hotel, the doctor was a bit surprised with her hesitancy to be left alone with her grandmother.

"Grace, are you close to your grandma?" She knew the woman lived in England, but distance didn't always preclude a close relationship.

"No. She only comes to visit every couple of years and then she and Mommy always ended up arguing."

Danny remembered them arguing when he was still married to Rachel, but then it was usually because she'd reduced herself to marrying a lowly cop. He had hoped their relationship had improved after he was no longer a factor.

"We used to try to call her sometimes, but usually Mommy just ended up yelling or crying, so we stopped. It was never fun like calling Grandma Williams."

The doctor exchanged a meaningful look with Danny and Steve. It was no wonder the young girl didn't want to be left with her grandmother. She associated her with more anger and tears.

"From what you've told me, it sounds like you're worried about seeing your grandmother alone." Grace nodded. "Would you be more comfortable seeing her with your ohana around?"

She nodded more enthusiastically. "Yes." Grandma Bradley would seem less scary with the rest of the family there.

"Okay. Danny, why don't you arrange the initial reunion in a group setting?" She watched for his nod before turning back to Grace. "When that visit is over the three of you can sit down and decide how you are most comfortable handling additional visits. I would also recommend that you have some sort of code word that you can use with any of the other adults if you feel like you need to get away for a few minutes."

She often suggested that with potentially confrontational reunions whether the patient was an adult or a child. It helped them feel more in control of the situation and gave them a means of escape without simply fleeing the room.

"Surfboard?" Grace suggested.

"That will work." Steve smiled at her. "Easy enough to work in if needed."

The three adults all noticed that she had visibly relaxed once they made a plan. At this point, feeling like she had some measure of control over a potentially uncomfortable situation would help.

"Now Grace, I've asked Danny and Steve to come back with you on Wednesday afternoon. Your mom's funeral is Tuesday, so I thought you might want to talk some more then."

The little girl nodded. "I'd like that." Saying goodbye to her mom was going to be hard, so talking to Dr. James again would be nice.

"I might suggest you hang onto your code word for Tuesday."

"Yes, ma'am." Steve answered.

A few minutes later, Dr. James escorted them to the front door. Giving Grace a hug, she reminded the men to call her if they needed anything.

Getting into the car, they all felt more relaxed than they had upon arriving that morning.

"Are Chin, Kono, and Catherine coming for lunch?" Grace asked from the back.

"Would you like them to?" Danny questioned.

"Yeah. We need to explain surfboard to them." She said as if she were stating the obvious.

"Chin's out with Grandma, so we can catch him when they get back. I'll call Kono now."

As Steve navigated the car toward home, the detective pulled out his phone to make the call.

He was starting to think that things might actually be okay eventually. If only they could divert the potential crisis that Dianne Bradley posed.

/

A/N: Please take a second to review.


	25. Chapter 25

**Guardian**

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 25**

Chin's car was already in the driveway when Kono pulled in right behind the Camaro. The women were ready when Steve called and wasted no time heading over. If Grace wanted her ohana there and she was going to have it.

Hopping out of the car, Catherine went to retrieve a bag out of the trunk. Noticing the curious looks from Steve and Danny, she laughed. "We stopped and picked up a few supplies on the way home last night."

Steve noticed the logo for the sporting goods store and smiled. "Thanks! I'm sure we'll appreciate those." The girls had evidently followed through on getting the pads for sparring.

The five made their way into the house, following the sound of Beth and Chin's voices to the kitchen.

"We started pulling lunch together." Mama Williams announced, looking up from the cutting board. "Nothing fancy, just some veggies and sandwiches."

"Thanks ma." Danny gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Plates piled with food and drinks in hand, the group ventured out to the lanai to eat. It was far to beautiful to stay cooped up inside the house.

Conversation focused on the houses Beth and Chin and looked at that morning. It had been a productive morning and she thought a few of the houses had real potential. One in particular was only a few minutes away.

When everyone was finished, Grace looked at her dads expectantly. She knew her grandmother's arrival was imminent and wanted to be prepared.

Clearing his throat, Danny tried to decide the best way to explain. Eventually he needed the adults to understand the larger threat, but he didn't want to spell it out in front of Grace.

"Rachel's mother called this morning." All eyes immediately turned to him. "She'll be arriving in Honolulu in about," he glanced at his watch, "20 minutes. She requested that we bring Grace to her hotel to stay; however, after discussing it at Dr. James's office we've agreed that we will invite her here."

The adults remained quiet, somehow knowing there was more to it. The tone of his voice when he said 'requested' implied more.

"Due to the strained relationship between Rachel and Mrs. Bradley, Grace hasn't had a very close relationship with her and is a bit nervous about the coming visit. We'd like all of you to remain here when she comes; hoping that it will makes things a bit easier."

Everyone immediately agreed. If Grace needed backup, she had it.

"Additionally, Dr. James suggested that Grace have a code word she could use with any of us to indicate she needs a breather from the situation."

"Smart thinking." Chin nodded his head approvingly. "What's the word?"

"Surfboard." Grace replied, smiling at Kono. The little girl was becoming rather proficient at surfing thanks to the Hawaiian.

"So if she uses that word with any of us, find a way to slip away with her for a bit. The rest of us will keep Dianne distracted. We'll also use that word at the funeral on Tuesday." Steve offered.

"Don't worry Grace; we've got your back." Catherine squeezed her shoulder reassuringly.

Strategy in place, the ohana cleared their plates before deciding to come back out and relax a bit. When Danny's phone rang, they all looked expectantly.

"Detective Williams." He answered grudgingly.

"Daniel, I'm getting ready to get into a taxi at the airport. Have you reconsidered our conversation earlier?"

Closing his eyes, he tried to remain calm. "Mrs. Bradley, we understand that you want to see Grace, but given the circumstances your reunion with your granddaughter needs to happen somewhere she is comfortable. If you want to see her this afternoon, why don't you come here?"

"Fine. Where exactly is here?" Her tone was sharp.

He'd expected more of a fight, but quickly gave her Steve's address. "We'll see you soon."

Phone call ended, Danny shrugged. "She's coming here from the airport."

Grace had a feeling her Danno wanted to tell the other adults something, but didn't want to say it in front of her. "I'm gonna run to the bathroom. I'll be right back." She trusted them to tell her if it was something she needed to know.

When the door closed behind her, Steve shook his head. "I swear that kid is too perceptive sometimes." Looking to Danny, the Seal decided to explain the additional concerns. "We think there may be more to Dianne's visit than just wanting to see Grace. Her comments this morning made it sound like she might try to take her back to England." Shocked gasps erupted all around them.

"Like hell!" Beth exclaimed, surprising all of them.

"She hasn't come right out and said it, but I made a call to Governor Denning just in case and we have his support. I should actually give him a call and let him know she's coming. Excuse me." Rising from the chair, he ventured toward the driveway to call the politician in private.

"McGarrett, how are things?" Denning didn't bother with the usual pleasantries.

"Mrs. Bradley is on the way here from the airport. Grace is quite apprehensive about her visit. Apparently she and Rachel argued a lot, so she had no real relationship with her grandmother."

Steve heard the sound of a car door closing and assumed he'd caught the Governor on the way to an appointment.

"Is the team there?"

"Yes, sir. They met us here for lunch and have been briefed." The Seal realized this was starting to sound like a Five-0 op more than a visit from a family member.

"Good. I have one quick appointment, but will follow up with you as soon as that is over."

McGarrett was surprised by how invested Denning appeared to be, but appreciated the support. "Thank you, sir."

Disconnecting the call, he ventured back to the lanai. Grace had returned and was sitting in the chair he'd, vacated wrapped in one of his shirts. As he approached, she jumped up so he could sit before climbing onto his lap to curl up against his chest.

Sitting next to them, Danny smiled lovingly at the pair. While he was always slightly jealous of any attempt on Stan's part to take his place in Grace's life, he felt nothing but a deeper love for Grace and Steve when he saw them together. Of course, he knew that the Seal genuinely loved their daughter and it wasn't some asinine competition for her affection.

Steve caught him staring and arched one eyebrow at him in question.

"It's nothing. Just thinking how much I love you two." He answered quietly.

"We love you too." Grace and Steve answered in unison.

Hearing a vehicle pull up, the adults all struggled to appear calm. They'd wait to see how Rachel's mother acted before getting to defensive.

In an effort to be civil, Danny rose to go greet his ex-mother-in-law. Rounding the corner, he took a deep breath and reminded himself to stay calm.

"Mrs. Bradley, I hope your driver didn't have any trouble finding the house." She had a car and driver. Rachel's mother would never drive herself or stoop to the level of taking a taxi.

"He was competent enough. Now where is my granddaughter?" She demanded, not bothering to actually greet him.

"She's out back with everyone else." He gestured in the direction they would take. "Follow me."

The detective could feel her glaring at the back of his head as he walked. When the reached the others, she stepped around him.

Danny noticed that his daughter was standing immediately in front of Steve, her hand holding onto his where it rested on her shoulder.

"Grace, come here and say hello." She opened her arms stiffly, eyes shifting to the series of unfamiliar faces. Aside from Danny and Grace, the only person she knew was Mrs. Williams.

The detective watched as Steve squeezed her hand encouragingly before she hesitantly released his hand and stepped forward.

"Hi Grandma." Grace was clearly nervous as the older woman gave her a cautious hug.

"Are you ready to come to the hotel with me?" Mrs. Bradley asked as if everyone was on board with the plan.

Grace immediately broke free and practically flew into Steve's arms. Lifting her easily, the Seal held her close. "Sshh, it's okay Gracie." He whispered in her ear. "You're safe."

"Mrs. Bradley, we've already discussed this. Grace will not be staying at the hotel with you." Danny fought to keep his voice level, the sight of his now terrified daughter making his blood boil.

Beth and the others converged around Steve and Grace. From her position, Grandma Williams could hear her granddaughter mumbling "surfboard" against her Daddy's shoulder.

"Grace, why don't we go in and fix some drinks for everyone." She reached up and brushed the hair from the little girl's eyes.

After the Seal gave her a tight squeeze and a kiss on her head, she let him set her down and grabbed Beth's hand to go in the house.

"What have you told her? Why is my only granddaughter afraid of me?" Dianne all but shrieked.

"Have you considered what she's been through in the last six days? Considered the fact that trying to take her away from her father to some strange hotel is not what is best for her?" Danny was about to snap.

"But I'm her grandmother." Mrs. Bradley nearly shouted.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Steve challenged. "How many times has she actually seen you, talked to you in her life? You may be related to her by blood, but that doesn't mean she's going to automatically trust you." The Seal's voice was tight. The rest of the ohana knew just how true those words were for him.

"Is there a problem here?" An unexpected voice interrupted the confrontation.

"And just who do you think you are?" Dianne turned to face off with the new stranger.

Extending his hand, the visitor spoke. "Sam Denning, ma'am, Governor of Hawaii."

Taken aback by this unexpected turn, she shook his hand.

"And why are you showing up at lowly cop's house?" She had never paid attention when Grace tried to explain what Daniel and Steve did. She only barely remembered that Steve was his boss in whatever little group they worked.

"Is that really what you think they are? Just some lowly cops?" He couldn't hide his shock. "I can't imagine Rachel or Grace ever having described them that way."

"That's all he's ever been." She pointed at Danny. "A cop that ruined my little girl's life and turned her against me."

"I assure you, Detective Williams, Commander McGarrett, and the rest of their team are anything but lowly cops. My Five-0 task force is the most well respected law enforcement team in this state. They are the ones that I trust above everything else."

The team was almost as shocked as Dianne at his declaration.

"I don't care what they are, Grace is the only family I have left and I want her to come with me. She deserves to be with family." She didn't sound nearly as confident has she had earlier.

"Take a look around you. This is her family. I have no doubt that every person here would lay down their life to protect that little girl." The entire task force and Catherine all stood a bit straighter at his words, crossing their arms across their chests as if daring her to argue.

"But she's all I have left!" Mrs. Bradley stared at them.

Denning softened his tone a bit when he spoke again. "And I assure you that no one is trying to stop you from spending time with her, but if you have any ideas about taking that little girl from her father, from her ohana, you better reconsider. There is not a single judge on this island that would let you take her. I can assure you of that."

/

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	26. Chapter 26

**Guardian**

A/N: Now to see if Governor Denning's intervention made a difference.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them. I should also note that I have no beta on this story. All mistakes are entirely my own.

**Chapter 26**

Dianne Bradley seemed to deflate in front of them at the governor's words. A few moments ago, she'd presented the perfect picture of arrogance; now she appeared unsteady on her feet.

"Is she inside?" Denning asked. "I'd like to see how she's doing."

"We'll show you the way." Kono answered, pulling Chin and Catherine along with her. She suspected the remaining three could use some privacy to talk now that Dianne seemed beyond the point of making threats.

When the door closed behind them, Steve looked down at his partner before taking a cautious step forward. Placing a strong hand on the woman that looked strikingly like an older version of Rachel, the Seal kept his voice quiet but firm.

"He's right, you know. There is no way you are taking her from us, but that doesn't mean we want to keep you out of Grace's life. She needs all the family she has, but you have to accept that we make up a large part of that family."

Dianne looked up at him, surprised that the intimidating man had approached her. "I just thought…. Oh, I don't know what I thought. Rachel and I have barely been on speaking terms in recent years. Every time we spoke, it ended in a fight. I should have tried harder to fix things, but she was so stubborn, so much like me."

Danny stepped forward, as much as he'd always resented her attitude toward him, he could only image the pain she felt at losing her only child.

The Seal carefully guided her to sit in one of the chairs, before tugging another one around to face her. A second later, his partner pulled another chair next to his.

"Dianne, I know this is hard for you. It's too late to fix things with Rachel, but that doesn't mean it's too late to build a relationship with your granddaughter." The detective reached to clasp her hand.

"How can I do that when she's afraid of me?"

As furious as the men had been with her only a few moments before, they both felt for her. They were used to Rachel's self-centered behavior when reacting to a situation she didn't know how to handle and could recognize that same trait in her mother. All Dianne had paid attention to was her own pain, her own desire to fill the hole in her heart. Anger now subsiding, it was in their best interest to find a path forward.

"Mrs. Bradley, I don't think she is truly afraid of you. Your threat to take her away from us is likely what scared her most. After what happened, she is scared when she's not with us. While we're working to overcome that, it's going to take time." Steve took her free hand as he tried to make her feel a bit better.

"Aside from that, you have to remember that Grace's memories of you largely involved your arguments with Rachel. Especially right now, that is going to rattle her. I'm not sure how much you know about the details of Rachel's death, but she and Stan had been arguing frequently." He paused to let her process that bit of information. "If you truly want to be a part of her life, you're going to have to take the time to establish her trust."

She looked to the men, a single tear streaking down her face. "How am I supposed to do that when she won't get near me?"

"You spend as much time as you can while you're on the island here." Danny gestured to the house and beach. "This is Grace's home, the place she feels safest. Don't push, but let her see that you love her." He wasn't sure how well this rather icy woman would be able to show it, but he hoped for her sake and Grace's that she could.

Steve chimed in again. "If you want her trust, you're going to have to earn the trust of her ohana, her family. She trusts every single one of us and you'd be amazed at how well she can read each of us. You have an amazing granddaughter, I only hope you can bring yourself to appreciate her the way we do."

Dianne stared at her hands, both wrapped in the stronger, smoother hands of the men, vision blurred by tears. "What about when I leave? When I go back to England?"

"You should probably consider visiting more than once every two or three years, but outside of that we can set up a regular schedule for calls or video chats. That's what we've done with my parents since moving here. Grace talked to them every weekend and always knew she could call them any time she needed."

She looked up at the detective. "You'd really do that?"

He nodded. "Yes. While I will not ever allow you to take our daughter from us, I will also never stop her from getting to know her grandmother."

Dianne leaned back into the chair, gently removing her hands from theirs. She realized just how unreasonable she'd been, coming here expecting to take Grace away from Daniel. She knew her falling out with Rachel wasn't really his fault. She and her daughter were so much alike that they'd always clashed.

"I realize I have no right to ask, but in the few conversations I've had with my granddaughter, I know Steve's name came up almost as much as yours, Daniel. I also noticed that you refer to her as 'our daughter' instead of just your daughter."

Danny reached out and took his partner's free hand in his own. "If you're asking the nature of our relationship, Steven and I are partners both at work and at home. I hope that isn't an issue for you."

She smiled, somewhat sadly, and shook her head. "I suppose Rachel never told you about my brother, did she?"

Danny shook his head no, confused by where this was going.

"Henry was a few years younger than me. He was gay. I knew, but he was afraid to tell our parents; afraid they wouldn't love him the same. He tried to live a lie for years, but it caught up with him when Rachel was a teenager. My own brother took his life because he was afraid to let people know who he truly was. So, to answer your question, no it isn't an issue for me. I loved my brother dearly and wish that he'd been able to find someone to love him, to stand by him. Then maybe he would still be here." She wiped at the tears that streamed down her cheeks.

Danny leaned forward, placing a comforting hand on her knee. It bothered him that'd he'd actually learned more about her in the last several minutes than he'd ever known when married to Rachel. Dianne and Rachel never got passed the arguments while they were married on the few occasions they actually met to let him get to know his mother-in-law.

Collecting herself at last, Dianne looked up at the pair. "I botched my arrival pretty well, didn't I?" The expressions on their faces confirmed it. "Do you suppose we could start over? Maybe start by introducing me to all these people that are so fiercely attached to my granddaughter."

"I think that's an excellent idea." Danny rose and extended a hand to help her up. Ever since the call this morning, he'd been gearing up for a fight. It was a huge relief to know that this wasn't going to turn into a long, drawn out distraction from Grace's recovery.

/

Stepping inside the door, Denning turned to his escorts. "Well, I hope that worked."

"Me too." Kono agreed, eyeing the man beside her curiously. His arrival and display of support was unexpected.

Catching her look, Governor Denning paused before entering the kitchen. "I know I haven't always been easy on Five-0, but you've all earned my respect as people and as part of this task force. I've seen what this team is capable of and I've seen how close you are to each other."

The cousins both looked at him as if he was going crazy.

"I was serious out there. I both respect and trust this team. I'm just sorry it took a tragedy like this for me to make my opinion clear to you."

Sensing the conversation was quickly becoming uncomfortably serious, Chin clapped him on his back. "Better late than never, brah. Better late than never."

Shaking his head, the Hawaiian turned to the kitchen. "How you holdin' up Gracie?" He crossed to the stool where she sat drinking a glass of pink lemonade and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Is she going to try to take me away? I don't want to leave Danno and Daddy." Grace looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.

"I don't think so, Gracie." Before he could explain further, the governor grabbed a stool and pulled it up to sit next to her.

"I think it's going to be okay, Grace. Danny and Steve are talking to her now, but I think we made it pretty clear that you are staying with them." He reached over to take her small hand. "You guys have a lot of people in your corner and we'll all make sure you stay right where you belong."

The governor liked the sweet little girl that managed to make everyone smile. He hated the idea of her being hurt, but he also had to admit that he knew the task force would crumble if Danny and Steve left. He had no doubt that if Danny left to go be with Grace, Steve would follow.

Her small smile made everyone relax a bit. She already had enough to worry about without adding a fear of being taken from her family.

Sitting and chatting with the little girl for a few moments, Denning finally stood and walked back to Kono. "So, am I to assume that their partnership is more official now?" He leaned down to speak quietly.

Officer Kalakaua couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, it's a pretty new development, but it is." She finally met his eyes. "How'd you know anyway?"

"Those two have been at each other like an old married couple as long as I've known them. It seemed rather inevitable." He grinned broadly. "I'm happy for them."

"Us too. They deserve a chance at happiness."

Hearing the front door open, everyone immediately gravitated to stand around the island, a quiet show of support for the little girl.

McGarrett led the way into the room, Dianne and Danny following right behind him. Seeing his daughter's nervous expression, he smiled at her reassuringly.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Mrs. Bradley stepped out from behind the Seal. "I'd like to apologize for my behavior this afternoon. After talking to Daniel and Steven, I'd very much like to start over."

Her eyes looked from person to person, finally settling on Grace. Underscoring McGarrett's earlier words, she could see her granddaughter searching the faces of the two men behind her before turning to look at the people surrounding her. Seemingly satisfied with what she saw, Grace nodded her head.

"In that case, I'd like to start by introducing myself. I'm Dianne Bradley, Rachel's mother and Grace's grandmother."

Beth stepped forward, though they knew each other already, she decided she would encourage the new direction the visit was taking. "It's lovely to see you again, Mrs. Bradley." She gave the other woman a quick hug.

"Please, call me Dianne." She smiled nervously at Danny's mother, wishing that she was as comfortable with this group as Beth appeared to be.

Not wanting to drag the introductions out, Danny stepped to Diane's side. "You'll have a chance to get to know everyone better while you're here, but let's start with the basics. You've already met Governor Denning. The lovely ladies next to Grace are her aunts, Kono Kalakaua and Catherine Rollins."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Dianne smiled at them.

"Behind them is Chin Ho Kelly, Grace's honorary uncle and Kono's actual cousin." The detective smirked at the other man.

"Nice to meet you as well, Mr. Kelly."

"Please, Mrs. Bradley. We are all family here. First names are fine." Chin corrected her.

"Thank you Chin. Please, all of you call me Dianne." She fought a yawn. After the confrontation and emotional conversation that followed, she was beginning to feel rather exhausted.

Steve glanced at the clock. Seeing it was only 3:30, he made a suggestion. "Dianne, why don't you go check into your hotel and take a short nap? We'll have dinner around seven, which gives you three and a half hours to get some rest and make it back here."

"Are you sure, I don't want to intrude." She asked politely, though the hope was clear in her voice.

"Of course, Grandma." Grace beat him to the response. "Daddy's grilling chicken tonight and Grandma Williams promised to make tiramisu for dessert." The little girl slipped off the stool where she'd remained and approached the woman.

"A nap sounds divine right now, but I'll make sure I'm back for dinner." She hugged her granddaughter before letting Danny and Grace escort her to the car.

As they left, Steve turned to Governor Denning, extending a hand to him. "Thank you, sir. I believe you just saved us a tremendous amount of stress."

Denning shook his hand firmly, meeting his task force leader's eyes. "It was my pleasure. As I was telling your team earlier, I've been remiss in expressing my respect and appreciation for you all."

Steve was glad to see the tides had truly turned with his boss. "Thank you."

/

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	27. Chapter 27

**Guardian**

A/N: Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 27**

Waving at the car as it drove away, Danny looked down at his precious daughter. "How you holdin' up, Monkey?"

She'd had a busy day so far; hell, they'd all had a busy day. The therapy session had gone amazingly well. Danny would have to thank Steve for that later as he had no doubt that his partner's candor with Grace about his experience was the primary reason.

Top that off with the initial trauma of Dianne's visit and he was both impressed and concerned that she seemed so calm. Watching her, he could see the tension in her small body. She was trying to stay calm, but clearly, it wasn't entirely working.

Grace leaned into her father's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "I don't know." She was relieved that she didn't have to leave, both happy and a bit nervous about Grandma Bradley, and slightly overwhelmed. She was a bit tired, but at the same time she was sure she wouldn't be able to sleep at the moment.

Danny shifted toward her, squatting down in front of her. "I know the feeling, Monkey. What do you think you'd like to do now? We have some time before dinner. We could take a nap, go for a walk, watch a movie, anything you'd like." He wanted her to have a chance to relax a bit before dinner.

"Can we try out the pads that Kono and Cath brought?"

The detective smiled. "You are so much like Super Seal it's scary sometimes." He hugged her. "I think that's a wonderful idea. We could all do with a chance to work out some tension."

Holding her Danno's hand, she led the way back to the house where the family and Governor Denning waited. As soon as she crossed the threshold to the kitchen, Steve turned and stretched his arms toward her. Everyone watched fondly as the little girl let her Daddy sweep her up, holding her closely to his side.

Wrapping one arm around her neck, Grace leaned the side of her head against his.

"What's on your agenda for the afternoon, Gracie?" Steve inquired. He could feel the tension in her small frame even as she tried to relax into his hold.

"Danno said we could try out the new pads that Kono and Cath brought." The Seal was a bit surprised and looked over to his partner.

"Grace and I thought we could all use a chance to unwind a bit before dinner." Steve didn't miss the look in Danny's eyes. She needed to channel some energy to help her relax.

"Oh boy," Kono smirked. "She's just like her Daddy." Her joking comment made everyone laugh.

From her perch, Grace turned to the Governor. "Do you want to stay and watch? It's really fun."

Seeing Denning hadn't really followed exactly what he was being invited to witness, Chin clarified. "We're teaching Grace self-defense. Yesterday we gave her a series of demonstrations."

"I see." The governor nodded. He was actually rather intrigued by the unexpected opportunity to witness his task force display their skills. "Are you sure you guys don't mind? I don't want to get in the way."

"Not at all, sir." McGarrett answered. While he was still a bit unsure of this newfound camaraderie between his team and the governor, he was inclined to run with it.

"In that case, if you don't mind, I'm going to run out the car and grab a change of clothes. Pretty sure I have something a bit more appropriate in the trunk." He gestured to the suit he was wearing.

"You girls can get changed in my room." Beth looked to Kono and Cath. "I'm going to get the water bottles ready first."

/

Following Danny into their room, Steve closed the door before catching his partner's arm and pulling him into a firm embrace.

Danny didn't even try to fight it. Wrapping his arm around the Seal's waist, the detective could feel his carefully maintained control slipping. "How'd you know?" The words were muffled against the strong chest.

Gently kissing the blond locks, Steve's voice was low and full of concern. "Danny, I'm your partner. I've become quite adept at reading you." He knew the reality of Rachel's death was starting to seep in to his partner's mind. He'd managed to block it out thus far, focusing on Grace instead, but after Dianne's appearance and their conversation there was no way he could keep it at bay.

They stood silently for a long moment. "I can't lose it. Not yet, Steven." His voice was desperate, a plea for the Seal to understand, to help him keep it together.

"I know, but you have to let yourself deal with it eventually." He tightened his hold on the shorter man. "I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me about it, but please talk to one of us soon."

Danny pulled back a bit, looking up into Steve's hazel eyes. "I appreciate that, but we," he pointed at Steve's chest and then his own, "will talk tonight. After Grace is in bed, I promise." He stretched up to place a chaste kiss on the Seal's lips. "In the meantime, we're supposed to be getting ready to teach our daughter how to kick some ass."

Knowing that the promise to talk later was a step in the right direction, Steve nodded. "Right, ass kicking. I could do with some of that right now." Fighting was mostly instinctual for him at this point, but it also forced his mind to focus in the moment. Not to mention, without the fear of injury from fighting a hostile opponent, it was just plain fun for him.

As the men moved around the room, gathering their clothes and changing, Danny couldn't help but harass his partner. "You know, I offered up a nap, a walk, even a movie and it was Grace's idea to train instead. As soon as she said it, the first thing I thought was heaven help us, my baby is turning into Super Seal."

Steve threw him a goofy grin. "Think of it this way, by the time she's a teenager we will have less to worry about with the boys. They'll be too afraid of her to try anything."

Danny threw the balled up pair of socks in his hand at the Seal's head. "I don't want to think about my baby being a teenager or boys wanting to try things with her."

Catching the socks before they hit him, Steve was glad to see his partner relax just a bit. "Then let's go teach her how to stop them." While the idea of Grace using the skill she was going to learn to fend off unwanted advances was disturbing enough, the prospect was still slightly more appealing than the idea of her fighting off an attacker.

/

Coming down the stairs, Steve met Kono's concerned gaze and just shook his head, letting her know that everything was okay. He wasn't surprised she was worried. He suspected the entire ohana was worried about Danny.

"Mom's getting changed, but everybody else is out there already. I just came in to grab these." She held up a pair of shin pads that must have fallen out of the bag.

Emerging from the house, the trio heard Chin's voice. "So Grace, are you ready to try a little bit of what Catherine showed you yesterday?"

"Really?" The little girl sounded excited making Danny shoot a playful glare at McGarrett.

"You've corrupted our daughter." He elbowed his partner in the ribs earning him another goofy grin. "You're hopeless."

Governor Denning was already perched on one corner of the blankets, dressed in khaki shorts and a green t-shirt, when they arrived. It was odd seeing their boss in this setting.

"Why do I feel like I'm seeing the future of Five-0 here?" He pointed toward Grace where she stood with the other half of the task force and Catherine.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Danny admitted as he and Steve sat a couple feet away on the blanket. His little angel was so much like him that he'd often wondered if she wouldn't end up following in his footsteps. While he hated the idea of her in danger, he knew better than to think he could stop her if she wanted to pursue that path.

Beth made it out a few seconds later. Spotting her grandmother, and heading toward her when Grace motioned her over. "We get to practice today, Grandma."

"Sounds like fun." Beth smiled as she came to stand next to her. "So what's the plan?"

Everyone looked to Catherine and Kono to see what they intended. The Hawaiian spoke up. "Catherine is going to work with Grace, while Chin works with Beth." Her cousin nodded his agreement. "And if boss is up for it," the Seal jumped up to join them, "I'll work with him so you guys can follow along."

Everyone, the governor included, laughed as Steve failed to mask his excitement at getting to participate. Danny smiled lovingly at the sight of his partner acting like a kid at Christmas, barely able to stand still.

After roughly thirty minutes of watching, Governor Denning had an idea. "I'm really impressed with this." He motioned toward the six as he looked to Danny. "What do you think of holding some type of Five-0 self-defense class for women and children?"

Hearing his question, Kono and McGarrett froze mid-attack. "What do you have in mind?" Steve asked as he released his hold.

"It's nothing I'd expect you to tackle immediately, but just an idea. It could be an outreach for victims or those at risk of becoming victims. I'm sure we could get some help from HPD, but given the Five-0's reputation and your obvious skill in this area, it seems like a great opportunity."

By this point, the other four had stopped and were listening as well. Beth and Grace slipped over to the other blanket to get a drink. The little girl was more tired now that she'd worked out some of her earlier tension.

Denning didn't want the team to think it was an order they had to execute. "I understand if you aren't interested. I know you guys don't have much free time, but…"

Taking in the expressions on his team members' faces and the look Grace was giving him, Steve interrupted. "Let us come up with a workable plan. We wouldn't be able to commit to an every week class, but I bet we could coordinate something each month. Maybe do a half-day session or something."

"I'd love to help when I'm in port." Catherine chimed in.

The governor was impressed with their obvious enthusiasm for the new project. "Like I said, there's no rush. You all have enough on your plate right now. We can regroup on this in a few weeks and hash through more details."

"You done for now, sweetie?" The Seal asked Grace as she slid down to rest her head in Beth's lap. Her only answer was a sleepy nod and a yawn.

"That's it Super Seal, it's game on now." Kono laughed. "Come on Danny, you can be on our side this time."

The governor watched, completely engrossed, as Catherine and the other three members of Five-0 circled Steve.

Thirty minutes later, there was no clear winner in the engagement. The team had yet to take the Seal down and every time he took one or two of them down the others kept him occupied while they recovered.

"I give, babe." Danny collapsed onto the blanket and grabbed a bottle of water.

Denning laughed. "I feel for the criminal that is stupid enough to resist an arrest with the lot of you. That was one of the most impressive displays I've ever seen."

The group all smiled and laughed at his compliment.

"Alright kids, I need to get started with dinner. You should probably start getting cleaned up if you all expect to be respectable by the time Dianne returns."

"Yes mom," came a chorus of responses.

Steve reached down and plucked Grace off the blanket where she'd fallen asleep. "I'm going to take her up to her room so she can nap a bit longer." Turning toward the governor, he nodded a head toward the house. "If you don't need to leave feel free to grab a beer out of the fridge and enjoy the view or the tv while we get cleaned up."

"Thanks, McGarrett. I think I'll take you up on the beer, but if it's all the same to Mrs. Williams I'd prefer to make myself useful and lend a hand with dinner prep."

"I won't make you call me mom, but I will insist on Beth instead of Mrs. Williams." Danny's mom laughed. "And I can always put a spare set of hands to work."

That settled, the last of the group ventured into the house to get ready for dinner.

/

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	28. Chapter 28

**Guardian**

A/N: If you are following Guardian: Love Explored the chapter that posted on 11/16 (Ch. 5) is a lead in to this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them. I should also note that I have no beta on this story. All mistakes are entirely my own.

**Chapter 28**

Working together to prepare the tiramisu, Beth watched the man standing across from her. They'd maintained a casual conversation so far, but she knew it wouldn't be much longer before the others started to rejoin them.

"Governor Denning," she waited for him to look up at her, "I have to ask, why the change of heart with Five-0. I talk to my boys and Grace all the time and unless I missed something, they had no indication of anything more than a hesitant acceptance of their existence from you."

He looked rather taken aback by her forthright question.

"I apologize if my asking seems rude, but that team is like family to me. Those are my kids in every way that matters and I don't want to see any of them get hurt."

He held up a hand to stall any further explanation. "I'm sure I would feel much the same way in your position. I know it took me a while to warm up to them. What I eventually came to realize is that McGarrett's unorthodox approach to things is actually highly effective. He was also smart enough to surround himself with a team that balances him. From a professional perspective that has worked well for them. Add to that the fact that they operate with closeness akin to a SEAL unit and they seem to be virtually unstoppable."

He paused and smiled at Beth. Her grin told him that he could sing the team's praises for hours and she would gladly listen.

"I think, most importantly, I realized that they do what they do because they genuinely care about the safety and welfare of others, often above their own. When I figured that piece out it made it impossible to hold their unconventional techniques against them."

Covering the tiramisu and slipping it into the fridge, Beth laughed. "I'm glad you figured that out. I've always known Daniel was that way and it didn't take long to realize that Steven may actually be worse. I swear that boy gives no thought to his own safety if he thinks he can save someone else."

The governor laughed loudly at that comment. "I do believe you are right about that. I gather Danny and Grace are often the only reason he does consider his own well-being."

Pulling out the vegetables that would eventually go on the grill with the chicken, Beth decided to ask one more question. "You weren't surprised by the new nature of their relationship?"

Picking up a knife to start working, he laughed again. "Not a bit. I've been waiting for one of them to make a move for months."

The sound of Kono's laughter preceded her into the room. "You and half the rest of the island, I think." She gave Beth a quick hug before grabbing a glass of water. "What can I help with?"

/

Pulling a clean t-shirt over his head, Steve watched his partner staring at his own pile of shirts. "Danny, relax. I don't think Dianne is going to care which shirt you wear."

He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around the bare torso. The closer they got to her return, the more nervous the shorter man seemed to get.

"I know. I'm glad she's coming over to spend more time with Grace, but it's a big adjustment. For years, our relationship has been icy at best and hostile at its worst. This afternoon was a huge revelation for me. The idea that she isn't nearly the tyrant I always assumed."

Steve reached forward and plucked a nice royal blue t-shirt from the pile. "I know, but I'd imagine she's feeling more nervous than you are. She's being forced to re-evaluate the preconceived notion she held that you were nothing more than a dumb cop and she has the disadvantage of being in potentially hostile territory. We've all agreed to give her a chance, but I'm sure she realizes that any misstep on her part will spell trouble."

Danny laughed as he accepted the chosen shirt. He could only imagine the hell there would be to pay if she stepped out of line with Grace or him.

"I'll admit it's nice to know I have backup this time." The detective donned the shirt before smiling up at Steve.

Pulling Danny to him for a quick kiss, Steve grinned as he pulled back. "As long as I'm alive, you will always have backup."

"I know. I love you." He hoped the Seal really did understand just how much he meant that.

"I love you too. Now let's go check on Grace and see how dinner prep is going." He grabbed his partner's hand and pulled him toward the door.

Knocking gently on the door to Grace's room, Danny called out. "Hey Monkey, you awake?"

"Yeah, Danno. Come on in." She answered quickly.

Pushing the door open the two men filed into the room. "You look a bit more awake than you did." They found her looking through a drawer of shirts.

"I didn't mean to fall asleep." She started to apologize.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Steve shook his head. "It's okay, Gracie. This way you won't be so tired for dinner." Seeing her biting her lower lip, he turned his gaze to Danny.

"Are you nervous about this evening?" Danny moved to sit on the bed next to the Seal.

"A little." She admitted as she finally settled on a shirt. "I want her to like everyone so she'll want to spend more time with us. I love having Grandma Beth around and it doesn't seem fair that I've never gotten to have Grandma Bradley around because she and Mommy always fought."

Reaching out, Danny grabbed her hand and pulled her onto his lap, so she could see them both. "Monkey, I promise we'll all do our best to make sure she enjoys her visit. Tonight is going to be a little weird for all of us, but we know that your grandmother very much wants to get to know you better and spend more time with you. She will have to go back to England at some point, but we're going to start doing video chats with her like we always did with my parents."

Looking up at her father, Grace smiled. "Really? I'll still get to talk to her?"

"Absolutely, sweetheart. After all, she's family." The Seal reassured her. He only hoped that dinner really did go well. Things had ended on a positive note when Dianne left, but it was going to take a bit more time before he felt truly at ease in her presence.

Steve turned slightly, angling so he could wrap father and daughter in his long arms. "I love you two." He couldn't resist telling them both.

"I love you too, Daddy. You too, Danno." Grace giggled from her spot squished between her two favorite men.

"I love you both, too." Danny smiled as he tried not to laugh in response to her giggles.

Letting them go, Steve rose from the bed. "We should probably let you finish getting ready." When their daughter climbed out of Danny's lap, Steve extended a hand back to pull him up and out of the room.

"We'll meet you downstairs, Monkey."

Shutting the door, he heard her call out that she'd be right down.

The pair made their way to down the stairs. Hearing the sound of laughter from the kitchen Steve stopped a step below his partner and turned to face him. "Remember, you have backup, lots of backup." He pointed toward the kitchen. "For Grace's sake we're all going to do our best to make Dianne welcome and help them build a relationship, but do not ever doubt that the people in this house have your back."

Taking advantage of their position, Danny reached out and kissed the Seal enthusiastically. Breaking away to catch a breath, he finally answered. "I promise, babe. I will remember that." It was amazing how much life had changed since he'd first come out to this pineapple infested island.

When they finally entered the kitchen, Chin handed them each a Longboard. "Took you two long enough." He joked. When Danny opened his mouth to explain, he just shook his head. "Brah, we really don't want to know."

"The tiramisu is setting in the fridge. I'm afraid we'll have a late dessert tonight since I didn't think to put it together earlier. We're just getting the rest of the prep work done." Beth gave them a quick status update.

"Leave anything for us to do?" Steve questioned.

"Just drink the beer, boss." Kono pointed to the drink in his hand. "Actually, why don't you guys go see if there's a game on while we finish up." The kitchen was getting a bit too crowded for anyone to get anything done.

"But…" Steve didn't want to feel useless.

"Out." Beth pointed to the door and laughed. "You can start the grill and handle that part when it's time."

Knowing it was pointless to argue with mom, Danny and Steve turned for the door. "Come on you two. If we don't go know they'll remove us by force."

The governor and Chin followed obediently behind the pair. "She doesn't leave much room to argue, does she?" Denning asked the other three.

"Trust me, she's mellowed out. You have no idea what it was like growing up with her." Danny groused, his grin giving him away. He adored his mother.

Grabbing the remote off the coffee table, Steve sat on one end of the sofa. Grabbing his partner's hand, he pulled him into the seat next to him. As they got comfortable, the Seal shot a nervous glance at Governor Denning. Spending an entire afternoon together, he imagined the other man had figured things out, but he didn't want things to get awkward.

Seeing the look from Commander McGarrett as he was taking his own seat, Denning gave a reassuring smile. "I'm glad to see you two finally worked things out."

Danny looked up, startled by the politician's words. Looking from his partner to their boss, he raised an eyebrow in question.

"Relax, Williams. I could see the look when McGarrett realized just how cozy you two look together. As I told Kono earlier, I've been waiting for this development. You'll hear no complaints from me as long as it doesn't impact your performance and knowing the two of you I suspect it will be more likely to improve it."

Chin chuckled from his chair. "You're probably right. Speaking of work, when do you want us back on duty?"

"I don't have a firm timeline for that. At a minimum, I expect you to be left alone through Tuesday." There was no way he'd allow the team's family time to be interrupted before the funeral was over. "At that point, I think we can play it by ear. Until Grace has gone back to school, I don't expect to see all four of you in the office at the same time."

Leaning back against Steve's arm stretched behind him, Danny was glad to hear that. "Thank you, sir. I really appreciate you being so understanding."

"You've sacrificed enough time and blood for the benefit of the state, I believe we can allow you adequate time to grieve and care for your daughter."

The four fell silent for a few moments until Steve flipped on the television. Finding a random game, they kicked back to watch, enjoying a few moments of seemingly normal life.

/

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated.


	29. Chapter 29

**Guardian**

A/N: Quick note here regarding timing of upcoming updates – I will be traveling 11/19-11/20. Depending on what time I make it home and how exhausted I am the next chapter may not post until 11/21. I will also be traveling from 11/23-11/30 and there will be no updates during that window I will have my notebook with me and try to get lots of writing done while I'm away from my computer so I can post quickly upon my return. I apologize for the delays, but hope all of you in the US enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 29**

Manning the grill, Steve had one arm wrapped loosely around Danny's shoulder. Everyone else had stayed inside to watch the game, giving the two a quiet chance to enjoy each other's company.

Hearing a car pull up, he reached down and gave Danny a kiss. It was about fifteen minutes before dinner would be ready and he guessed the sound marked Dianne's arrival. "Remember, we've got your back." He whispered into his partner's ear before releasing him.

"Thanks babe. I'm going to go greet our guest." The detective gave the Seal's backside a swift swat before heading toward the driveway.

Grinning after his lover, Steve sincerely hoped the evening went well. It would certainly make their conversation tonight easier if Danny wasn't overly stressed already.

Danny spotted Dianne coming toward him as her car pulled away. "Welcome back." He smiled reminding himself that she was here as friend not foe.

"Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate the chance." When he started to turn and head back toward the house, she reached a delicate hand out and grasped his arm. "Daniel, may I speak with you alone for a moment before we join the others?"

Turning to face her, he nodded, concern etched on his face. "Of course."

She took a deep breath before speaking. "I wanted to apologize. I spent most of the afternoon thinking about our conversation earlier and about the last several years. I know I was always very clear in my disapproval of you and the fact that I blamed you for my estrangement from Rachel. I just wanted you to know that I know it wasn't really your fault. It was just so much easier to blame you than to admit that Rachel and I were never going to be close."

Her voice quavered. The admission had not come easily for her, but she knew it needed to be said if they were going to make this new alliance work.

"I appreciate that. I really do. I can't imagine it was easy for you, being pushed away from your daughter and Grace. I'm sure it's going to take a while for us to really be comfortable with each other, but for my daughter's sake and your own I hope we can make it work." He covered her hand with his own where it still rested on his arm.

"Thank you. I don't deserve your understanding, but I'm very glad that I have it. I believe I misjudged you horribly over the last few years. I suspect the next few days are going to be very educational for me in finding out just what kind of son-in-law I missed out on having thanks to my pride."

Danny smiled warmly. "Well, why don't we go join the others? Steve was just finishing up at the grill, so we should be ready to eat soon."

Following the path, her hand now wrapped around his arm, they made their way to the lanai and Steve.

Turning from the grill, the Seal smiled at the pair. Danny had been gone longer than he'd expected, but judging by his expression, the delay had not been cause for alarm. "Welcome to our home, Mrs. Bradley."

"Please Steven, call me Dianne." She hoped she could prove herself worthy of their trust and earn her spot in Grace's life. Getting them to stop addressing her so formally would be a step in the right direction. "That smells delicious." She gestured toward the grill.

"Thank you. Actually, if Danny can go grab the platter from the kitchen, I think it's about time to eat."

"Yes, dear." The detective laughed as he led Dianne into the house. "Look who I found." He announced as he stopped in the living room. "Steve's getting ready to bring the food in, so I suggest we move this party into the dining room."

As the others rose and led Dianne to the dining room, Danny ducked into the kitchen to grab the requested item.

Less than ten minutes later, the eight of them were seated around the table ready to enjoy the meal.

"It all looks mouthwatering, especially after all that traveling." Dianne was quite impressed with the meal before her. The table was covered with salad, grilled vegetables, barbeque chicken, and steamed rice.

Mrs. Bradley looked around the table as everyone began filling their plates. She was seated between Danny and Grace on one side of the table. Steven was positioned at the head of the table with Grace to his right and Governor Denning to his left next to Beth. Chin was seated opposite Steve with Danny and Catherine on either side of him.

Not for the first time, she wondered at how this seemingly diverse group had not only come together, but become the family they were. Despite her words earlier, it was easy to see that this group was truly family not only to Grace, but to each other.

Conversation seemed to flow easily as they ate, everyone contributing and make sure she was included. She imagined many of the stories they told were for her benefit, helping her to understand the people she dined with better. She greatly appreciated the effort they were making to help her get to know them.

She found herself especially moved by the retelling of how Five-0 started. It was clearly a bittersweet memory, particularly for Steve. She saw the pain in his eyes when he spoke of his father's death, but also saw love and pride there when he spoke of the how he and Daniel ended up as partners.

She saw the bond of long-time acquaintances turned brothers as Steve and Chin explained how the task force gave him a fresh start. Though the words were never said, she could see that in some way the Seal's faith in him had helped return his self-respect and given him something to truly live for again.

The entire team contributed to the story of Kono's start with the team. Though she and Chin were family by blood, it was evident the other two saw her as a younger sister. What impressed her most about the dynamic was the evident respect the men all held for her skills.

As the story wound down, Governor Denning spoke first. "I must say, I wasn't close to the events that brought the task force together and I'm certain I wouldn't have picked any of you as my top candidates for the job." Dianne shot him a startled look at his words, causing him to grin. "That being said, I'm immensely pleased that it is the four of you that make up my task force. I have a hard time imagining anyone else doing what you have."

The four grinned back at him. They could very well imagine the impossibility of finding another team of individuals that would be anywhere near capable of replicating the events of their time together. Frankly, the prospect that such a team existed was a bit terrifying.

Sitting back in their chairs, enjoying their drinks and the conversation, there was no hurry to move from the dining room. Looking around, Dianne felt she knew Grace's family a bit better now, though one still remained a mystery.

"Catherine, I hope you don't mind me asking, but how do you fit into the picture?" The younger woman laughed openly at this question.

"Don't worry; you're not the first person to ask that question. I've actually known Steve for years. We served together and became very good friends. Whenever I was in port, I would spend my free time with him. Before long, I realized hanging with him was a package deal with the rest of Five-0 and Grace. I don't have any family here, so it was nice to have a bit of a home away from home."

She was careful not to mention the nature of her prior relationship with Steve. After she and Danny spoke, it had become a non-issue and she preferred to keep it that way.

"Of course, Cath also helps us out from time to time on cases. She's something of an unofficial Five-0 consultant." Steve laughed. Though the Governor was aware of it, her assistance was usually highly unofficial.

"Yeah, an unpaid consultant." She fussed at him playfully.

"I thought he paid you in steak?" Danny tried to act serious, but lost the battle not to laugh.

"True and it is some of the best steak around, but I might have to start increasing my fee." Catherine drummed her fingers together, giving a sardonic smile.

"You mean I have to start throwing in side dishes too? That wasn't part of the initial contract negotiation?" Steve failed at keeping his expression serious.

Witnessing the banter between friends, Grace was giggling so hard she was almost in tears. Dianne looked down at her, unable to control her own laughter. "Are they always like this?"

Unable to speak, the little girl just nodded. Before long, everyone at the table was laughing. When Beth finally managed to catch her breath, she rose to start clearing dishes.

Steve's sharp, "Sit back down!" made her jump, but she immediately complied. That particular tone of voice didn't leave room for argument.

"Sorry." He suddenly looked a bit sheepish. "What I meant was, you stay here and relax."

"And we'll clear the dishes." Danny interrupted him as he rose and started grabbing dishes. It was no surprise when Chin followed suit, but when Governor Denning rose and started grabbing plates he received several funny looks.

"What, I'm not going to be the only guy left in here." He joked, throwing a smile at the ladies. He also wasn't going to come off as the pretentious politician. He'd genuinely enjoyed the afternoon and though he knew he wouldn't often get the chance, he hoped he'd be welcome back.

With four of them working, it took only two trips to clear everything from the table. Danny and Chin started scrapping dishes off as Steve ran the dishwasher.

"Why don't you let me wash and you can dry? If I dry you may never find your dishes again." Denning joked with the Seal.

"Fair enough, sir, but really you don't have to help us clean up." He saw Denning arch an eyebrow in question. "What? Can you blame me? It's not every day my boss, the highest ranking official in the state, shows up at my house, saves us from a potential nightmare, spends the day hanging out with my ohana, and then proceeds to offer to wash my dishes."

Grabbing the dishrag from McGarrett, the governor laughed. "I'd imagine not; however, I hope the rarity of the situation doesn't prevent me from being permitted to return."

It was Steve's turn to arch a brow. "Really?"

"Yes, this has been one of the nicest days I've spent since taking office. As you are aware, with power and responsibility comes an obligation to be careful with your social life. Sometimes Governor is a rather lonely role if you strip away the people that only want to be around you for what you might be able to do for them."

The three members of Five-0 nodded their understanding. "In that case, start scrubbing. I hear there's some tiramisu hiding in the fridge for dessert."

Beth had warned them it wouldn't be ready until about nine, but looking at the clock, Steve had noticed it was nearly time. Thanks to all the stories told over dinner, the meal had taken the better part of two hours.

The men quickly fell into a steady pattern. Once the dishes were all neatly piled for washing, Danny and Chin grabbed towels to help with drying and putting away. Unlike the governor, they were well acquainted with the McGarrett kitchen layout.

By the time the dishes were done, it was after the proscribed hour so the men grabbed dessert plates, forks, and the waiting tiramisu before heading into the kitchen.

Reentering the dining room, they were happy to find Grace and the four women enjoying themselves.

"I see you found dessert." Beth laughed as Steve set it on the table, grinning sheepishly. He'd never appreciated tiramisu until she'd made it for them while he was in New Jersey with Danny and Grace. He suspected that the little girl's request for it today had more to do with him wanting it than her.

As soon as Grace ate her dessert, she disappeared upstairs for her shower. Catherine and Kono insisted they would handle the dessert dishes, knowing that once the little girl was back down to give everyone hugs and kisses it would be time for everyone to disperse for the night.

They finished just as Grace was coming back downstairs and managed to intercept her for the first goodnight hugs.

"We'll see you in the morning, okay Grace?" Kono asked as she hugged the little girl.

"Yep! Daddy has an appointment, but I'll be here with Danno and Grandma."

After saying goodnight to the governor and her Uncle Chin, Grace waved as they headed out the door.

"Call me if you need anything. Otherwise, I'll see you Tuesday." Denning called to Steve and Danny before slipping out the door.

"Oh, I should have called my car twenty minutes ago." Dianne realized that she'd been so caught up in what was going on that she hadn't thought about it.

"Why don't you call it now and then you can help me get Grace settled into bed while you wait?" Beth offered.

"Please, Grandma. Can you?" Her granddaughter smiled brightly at her.

"Of course, sweetheart. I'd love to." She looked to Danny, nervous that she was encroaching on his territory.

"I think that is a wonderful plan." The detective assured her.

"Good. Now you boys give us some hugs and scoot yourselves off to bed. Dianne and I will get Grace settled and I'll make sure she makes it safely into her car."

"Yes mom." Steve obediently leaned down to give the petite woman her hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Love you." He whispered quietly.

"Love you too, darling. Try to get a good night's sleep tonight. I think Grace and I might have a little slumber party in my bed tonight." She met his eyes to make sure he understood. He'd told her he planned to try to get Danny to talk tonight and she making sure there would be no worry about their daughter needing them in the middle of the night.

After both mothers and Grace had been adequately hugged, the two shuffled up to their room.

When the door closed behind him, Danny turned to look at Steve. "I know. I haven't forgotten."

/

Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Just a reminder that the next chapter will likely go up on 11/21 (unless I just can't stand to not stay up and get it posted after getting home the 20th).


	30. Chapter 30

**Guardian**

A/N: For those reading Guardian: Love Explored watched for a line of text starting with GLE - *. You can read the rest of the chapter there if you want to read the shorter watered down version first.

Remember, reviews make me very happy and encourage me to write more and try to write faster.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters and make no money doing this. I'm just having fun playing with them.

**Chapter 30**

Curled up on the couch between her grandmothers, Grace was reading her book to them. Grandma Williams had heard her read many times during their video chats, but this was a first for Grandma Bradley.

Finishing the chapter, she tried to stifle a yawn. Even with the nap, it had been a long and eventful day.

The little girl was very surprised to have Grandma Bradley here. Even though the woman had always scared her a bit, she'd missed getting to know her grandmother. This evening she'd been really nice, even to Danny and Daddy.

She hoped this meant she would see more of her now. Closing the book and setting it on the coffee table, Grace smiled at Dianne.

"Are you coming back tomorrow?"

The English woman smiled back. "I would love to, if you don't think I'll be in the way."

Dianne was a bit surprised when Beth laughed, but the Jersey woman quickly explained. "This house is something of a central hub for the whole family when they aren't working. I'm pretty sure an extra body won't be an issue."

"In that case, yes, I'll be here. Should I bring anything?" Dianne wasn't sure what a Sunday with the family would entail.

"A bathing suit, if you brought one, is always a safe bet given the location and their propensity to end up in the water. Otherwise, just dress comfortably. They're a pretty laid back group."

As the two women spoke, Grace started drifting off.

"Gracie, why don't you go climb into bed in my room? I'll be up as soon as Grandma Bradley's car picks her up."

The little girl nodded and reached over to hug Rachel's mom before trudging up the stairs. When she heard her close the door, Dianne looked to Beth.

"I appreciate you being willing to share your time with her." She looked slightly embarrassed. "I hate to admit it, but I find myself a bit jealous of how easy your relationship is with everyone. I know I've not earned my place with them and I suppose I wonder if I ever will."

Beth took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You'll find your place with them. I know they can be an intimidating bunch, but you'd be hard pressed to find a group that cares more about each other than they do." She couldn't hide the adoration and pride in her voice.

"I'd believe that after what I heard at dinner. They are definitely a loyal lot." Dianne wondered how she'd ever though so meanly of Daniel.

"That they are. Paul and I are thrilled that we'll be here full-time soon." Dianne looked surprised and Beth remembered that nothing had been said at dinner. "We're the last of the family in New Jersey, so we're in the process of moving to Hawaii. We miss having a large family around us and we'll have that here. Plus we want to be here for Grace."

"I wish I could do that too, but it's just not realistic for me right now." Mrs. Bradley hated that she was going to be half a world away.

"Well, make the most of this visit. I know it will be hard. I can only imagine the pain of losing a child, but I hope you will let us all be there for you like we are for each other. And when it's time to go back to England take the boys up on the offer to video chat. That's how we've been able to stay close to Grace and Danny from Jersey."

Dianne looked down at her lap. "I'm not even sure I know how to do all that." She hadn't mentioned it earlier, but she'd never bothered getting into all the new technology since she'd never really had a reason.

"Do you have a computer with a web camera?" Beth asked.

Dianne gave her a completely confused look. "I have a computer that is so old it's probably about to give up and die. I take it I'm going to need some new equipment?" She sounded a bit nervous.

"Don't worry. I bet Chin and Kono can help you figure out anything you'll need while you're here. From what I know those two are pretty savvy and for simple web chat it's really quite easy."

Hearing a car door shut outside, the women moved to the front door.

As they walked up the path, Dianne reached for Beth's hand. "Thank you. It means a great deal to me that you are being so kind after how atrocious I was to Daniel. He never deserved it. I realize that now."

Beth pulled her into a hug. "We all make mistakes, but Daniel is determined to make this work for Grace's sake and I support that. For her sake and our own, we need to move beyond the mistakes of the past and focus on building a future. I'm just glad you're finally seeing how wonderful those two really are."

Mrs. Williams watched as Dianne slipped into the care and the driver shut the door.

"Ma'am, I'll wait here until you've back in the house." The driver smiled courteously. His boss had warned him whose house this was and was taking no chances of getting fired if anything went awry.

"Thank you." She returned his smile before heading back to the house.

/

Beckoning his partner forward, Steve opened his arms in invitation. "Danno, relax. I'm not going to water board you to make you start talking." He wrapped his arms around his lover. "I want you to talk because it's clear to the people you care about that you need to, but I won't force you to talk to me."

Danny smiled against Steve's chest. "I know I need to talk or I'm going to lose it and I will not do that in front of my baby girl." He wrapped his arms around the Seal's waist. "I want to talk to you, not someone else."

Steve ran his fingers gently through his partner's hair trying to sooth him. He'd discovered, the night before, that the small action that would earn him a serious rant and possible threat of violence during the day was perfectly allowable when the day was done and they were alone. Last night thought Danny was going to start purring when he started absentmindedly playing with his hair while lying in bed.

"Come on, let's sit down and talk." Steve pulled him toward the bed. Kicking his sandals off, he leaned back against the headboard and scooted toward the center.

Removing his shoes, Danny gave the Seal a long look before sliding onto the bed beside him. He wasn't sure he could handle seeing Steve's face when he fell apart over his ex-wife's death.

Sitting in silence for a while, Steve recognized the Jersey native wasn't quite ready to start talking yet. "I promise I'm not going to think less of you for being upset or crying over her. Daniel, I know things have been ugly between you in recent years, but they weren't always that way." The Seal reached over and laced his fingers through Danny's, carefully folding their hands together.

"I keep thinking his is all some strange nightmare. That I'm going to wake up and everything will be normal again." Danny heard Steve's breathe catch and realized what he'd said. Squeezing his hand more tightly, he amended his words. "Not everything. Not this. I wouldn't want to lose this. Honestly I wouldn't want to lose having Grace full-time either. Just Rachel's death and Grace seeing it; those are the things I want to change."

They sat in silence for a while. Somehow Steve knew that his partner didn't need him to speak yet. He just needed him to listen. He needed to process and Danny tended to process verbally, he'd learned that very quickly.

"Until Dianne showed up I don't think it had really sunk in that Rachel was dead. I don't think it really made sense. Even now, I'm mad as hell at Stan for what he did to Grace, but Rachel being dead almost seems unreal. Part of me just doesn't believe it's true." He quieted for a moment, obviously thinking. "Maybe it'll be more real at the funeral when I actually see her. That'll be great."

The last statement was full of sarcasm. Steve could only imagine the breakdown Danny envisioned having in front of a full audience. Thanks to Max, he had an alternative to offer. Though part of him hated to push his partner to the breaking point, he had considered that letting it really letting Rachel's death within the confines of their bedroom was far kinder than letting it happen in a more public setting.

"Danno." He waited for him to turn toward him. "Would it help to see? To not wait? I know it's strange, but I suspected you might not really get it until you saw." Steve realized he was rambling and fell quiet.

"What? Are you offering a late night raid to the morgue or the funeral home?" Danny could only imagine Steve breaking in to find her body in the middle of the night. Visions of him in the all black ninja gear surfaced.

Steve looked surprised before remembering he hadn't actually explained.

"No, Danno. Nothing so dramatic. I had Max send me a picture. I wanted to be prepared. The team and Grace, we all saw her, so we know, but you didn't and while I'm glad you didn't have to see her like that..." He wasn't sure how to explain why the thought this had ever been a good idea. The Seal suddenly felt completely incompetent to handle this conversation. "Never mind, forget I…"

"Steven, breathe babe. I think that is one of the strangest and sweetest things anyone has ever done for me." He waited for the Seal's eyes to meet his. "Yes, I would appreciate seeing it."

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Steve dug his phone out of his pocket and found the email from the medical examiner. He was thankful Max had been careful to clean as much of the blood away as he could before taking the picture.

Steve brought knee up and motioned Danny to move. When his partner moved, he bent the other leg to the side so Danny could settle between his legs, using one leg as a backrest, his side against Steve's chest. This new position would make it easier to hold the detective close if needed and he strongly suspected it would be needed.

"I'm ready." Danny took a deep breath and looked up at him before accepting the proffered phone. He stared in shocked silence for a moment.

"Oh god, Rachel." His voice broke as the phone dropped to the bed. The death of his ex-wife was suddenly very real. Curling into Steve's chest, he let the Seal's strong arms envelope him a she sobbed.

Steve held him as tightly as he could without hurting him, not caring the salty tears were soaking his shirt. He'd been expecting this. He knew Danny felt nothing by halves and he'd once loved the mother of his child deeply, no matter how short lived or long ago it was. Years of frustration and anger couldn't completely wipe that away.

The Seal didn't try to offer any platitudes, he just held the man he loved, gently kissing his hair and forehead as he let him cry. Eventually, the Jersey native exhausted his tears, though he remained nestled in the safety of Steve's embrace.

Held securely in those arms, Danny completely understood Grace's love for letting the Seal hold her. He didn't care how tough he was supposed to be, there was something about the warmth, the hard muscle, the feel and sound of his steady heartbeat. Somehow, the most dangerous man he knew had an innate ability to make the people he loved feel safe and cherished when things fell apart.

"Thank you." Danny finally whispered, knowing Steve would hear him.

"You don't need to thank me, Danny. Like I've been telling you all day, I've got your back. You aren't facing this alone." He kissed the blond head again.

"I know, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate that you thought about this enough to know what I was going to need. That you cared enough to do that; to let me fall apart and cry over my ex. A lesser man wouldn't do that." He met Steve's hazel eyes with his red-rimmed blue ones. "Don't think I don't know just how lucky I am to have you."

"No…"

Danny cut Steve's argument off with a kiss.

"You, Super Seal, are not allowed to argue. You are gracefully going to accept my appreciation. Babe, you have been the rock that is getting Grace and me both through this."

Steve actually laughed at that idea. "Yeah, sure. The rock that is going to see my shrink tomorrow before I crack."

Danny shook his head. "That doesn't make you less of a rock. It just makes you a rock that is smart enough to know that calling in reinforcements can make the difference between the success and failure of a mission." He smiled at Steve's bewildered expression. Clearly, the rock analogy was getting tangled and he'd lost the Seal.

GLE - *Switch to Love Explored if desired for the remainder of this chapter* - GLE

"Speaking of you and the mental health profession; I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your help with Grace. I never imagined meeting Dr. James would go so well. I'd expected more resistance, but with your help she really seems to be embracing it."

Steve smiled. He'd been extremely pleased with how the appointment had gone. "I'm glad I could do something. I remember how terrified I was meeting Dr. Thompson the first time. I think it took a full hour before he pried more than a one or two word answer out of me." He grinned at Danny's shaking head.

"I'm actually impressed it only took an hour." Danny absentmindedly played with the neckline of the Seal's t-shirt, letting his fingers brush over the rough stubble on his neck.

"Well, in all fairness to your assumption, he is the first in a long line of military shrinks that ever got more out of me than was absolutely necessary to keep myself cleared for duty. I've had plenty of very quiet sessions with shrinks in my career. He's also the first one that I went to see voluntarily."

Steve's voice started to falter. Danny's fingers were starting to have a very real and likely unintended effect on him. "Daniel." The name came out far huskier than he'd intended.

The warning in Steve's voice was clear, even though the desire. The detective's fingers stilled for a space of a few heartbeats before they wrapped themselves in the shirt and pulled Steve's lips to his. He'd exhausted his tears and in that moment, he needed a very real reminder that, despite everything, he was still alive.

Fisting his hand into Danny's hair, Steve finally managed to break the frenzied kiss. Taking a deep breathe, he met his partner's blue eyes. "Danny?" He spoke the name as a question, a need to know just what his partner needed from him. Whatever it was, he would give it, but he wasn't going to make assumptions.

"Please Steven." The shorter man was ready to beg. "I need to remind myself that this," he gestured between their chests, "is real. That this has not all been a nightmare. That I'm still here."

That was all Steve needed to know. He'd been there before, had felt the need to feel well and truly alive after witnessing death and destruction.

Sometime later, the pair had managed to very thoroughly remind Danny he was alive, shower, and crawl back in bed completely exhausted.

The sheet pulled over them and Steve's long limbs wrapped around Danny, they settled in to sleep.

"Thank you babe." Danny whispered sleepily.

Steve didn't even try to argue this time. He didn't need Danny's thanks, but he understood. He wasn't even hurt that his partner hadn't expected him to handle things the way he did. Hell, had it been anyone but Danny he probably wouldn't have, but it was Danny.

Most importantly, Danny was his now and he was going to do his damnedest to take care of him just like he so often did for Steve.

/

Reviews are greatly appreciated.

If you didn't switch over at the GLE cue above, but are interested there is a much longer M rated version of the end of this chapter posted under Guardian: Love Explored. It is the 6th chapter over there.


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